Psalm 89
Holman Christian Standard Bible  Par ▾ 

Perplexity about God’s Promises

A Maskil of Ethan the Ezrahite.a

1I will sing about the LORD’s faithful love forever;b

I will proclaim Your faithfulness to all generations

with my mouth.c

2For I will declare,

Faithful love is built up forever;

You establish Your faithfulness in the heavens.”d

3The LORD said,

I have made a covenant with My chosen one;

I have sworn an oath to David My servant:

4I will establish your offspring forever

and build up your throne for all generations.’ ”eSelah

5LORD, the heavens praise Your wondersf —

Your faithfulness also —

in the assembly of the holy ones.g

6For who in the skies can compare with the LORD?

Who among the heavenly beingsh is like the LORD?i

7God is greatly feared in the council of the holy ones,

more awe-inspiring thanj all who surround Him.k

8LORD God of Hosts,

who is strong like You, LORD?l

Your faithfulness surrounds You.

9You rule the raging sea;

when its waves surge, You still them.m

10You crushed Rahab like one who is slain;n

You scattered Your enemies with Your powerful arm.o

11The heavens are Yours; the earth also is Yours.

The world and everything in it — You founded them.p

12North and south — You created them.q

Tabor and Hermon shout for joy at Your name.r

13You have a mighty arm;

Your hand is powerful;

Your right hand is lifted high.s

14Righteousness and justice are the foundation

of Your throne;t

faithful love and truth go before You.u

15Happy are the people who know the joyful shout;v

Yahweh, they walk in the light of Your presence.w

16They rejoice in Your name all day long,

and they are exalted by Your righteousness.x

17For You are their magnificent strength;y

by Your favor our horn is exalted.z

18Surely our shieldaa belongs to the LORD,

our king to the Holy One of Israel.ab

19You once spoke in a vision to Your loyal ones

and said: “I have granted help to a warrior;

I have exalted one chosenac from the people.ad

20I have found David My servant;

I have anointed him with My sacred oil.ae

21My hand will always be with him,

and My arm will strengthen him.af

22The enemy will not afflictag him;

no wicked man will oppress him.ah

23I will crush his foes before him

and strike those who hate him.ai

24My faithfulness and love will be with him,

and through My name

his horn will be exalted.aj

25I will extend his power to the sea

and his right hand to the rivers.ak

26He will call to Me, ‘You are my Father,al

my God, the rock of my salvation.’am

27I will also make him My firstborn,

greatest of the kings of the earth.an

28I will always preserve My faithful love for him,

and My covenant with him will endure.ao

29I will establish his line forever,

his throne as long as heaven lasts.ap, aq

30If his sons forsake My instruction

and do not live by My ordinances,ar

31if they dishonor My statutes

and do not keep My commands,as

32then I will call their rebellion

to account with the rod,

their sin with blows.at

33But I will not withdraw

My faithful love from him

or betray My faithfulness.au

34I will not violate My covenant

or change what My lips have said.av

35Once and for all

I have sworn an oath by My holiness;

I will not lie to David.aw

36His offspring will continue forever,

his throne like the sun before Me,ax

37like the moon, established forever,

a faithful witness in the sky.”aySelah

38But You have spurned and rejected him;

You have become enraged with Your anointed.az

39You have repudiated the covenant with Your servant;

You have completely dishonored his crown.ba, bb

40You have broken down all his walls;

You have reduced his fortified cities to ruins.bc

41All who pass by plunder him;bd

he has become an object of ridicule

to his neighbors.be

42You have lifted high the right hand of his foes;

You have made all his enemies rejoice.bf

43You have also turned back his sharp sword

and have not let him stand in battle.bg

44You have made his splendorbh cease

and have overturned his throne.bi

45You have shortened the days of his youth;

You have covered him with shame.bjSelah

46How long, LORD? Will You hide Yourself forever?

Will Your anger keep burning like fire?bk

47Remember how short my life is.

Have You created everyone for nothing?bl

48What man can live and never see death?

Who can save himself from the power of Sheol?bmSelah

49Lord, where are the former acts of Your faithful love

that You swore to David in Your faithfulness?bn

50Remember, Lord, the ridicule against Your servants —

in my heart I carry abuse from all the peoples —

51how Your enemies have ridiculed, LORD,

how they have ridiculed every step of Your anointed.bo

52May the LORD be praised forever.

Amen and amen.bp


Footnotes:
a. 89:title 1Kg 4:31; 1Ch 2:6
b. 89:1 Ps 101:1
c. 89:1 Ps 92:2; 119:90
d. 89:2 Ps 36:5
e. 89:3-4 2Sm 7:8-16; 1Ch 17:7-14; Jr 33:17-21
f. 89:5 Ps 19:1; 97:6
g. 89:5 Ps 149:1
h. 89:6 Or the angels, or the sons of the mighty
i. 89:6 Ps 86:8; 113:5
j. 89:7 Or ones, revered by
k. 89:7 Ps 89:5; 96:4
l. 89:8 Ex 15:11; 2Sm 7:22
m. 89:9 Jb 38:11; Ps 104:9; Mt 8:23-27
n. 89:10 Is 30:7; 51:9-10
o. 89:10 Ps 68:1; 92:9
p. 89:11 1Ch 29:11; Ps 24:1
q. 89:12 Jb 26:7
r. 89:12 Ps 133:3; Jr 46:18
s. 89:13 Ps 98:1; 118:16
t. 89:14 Ps 97:2
u. 89:14 Ps 85:13
v. 89:15 Ps 98:6
w. 89:15 Ps 56:13; 1Jn 1:7
x. 89:16 Ps 20:5; 105:3
y. 89:17 Ps 28:8
z. 89:17 Ps 148:14
aa. 89:18 = the king
ab. 89:18 Ps 84:9
ac. 89:19 Or exalted a young man
ad. 89:19 2Sm 17:10; 1Kg 11:34; Ps 78:70
ae. 89:20 1Sm 16:13; Ps 47:9; Ac 13:22
af. 89:21 Ps 18:35; 80:17
ag. 89:22 Or not exact tribute from
ah. 89:22 2Sm 7:10
ai. 89:23 2Sm 7:9; Ps 2:9
aj. 89:24 Ps 21:7; 132:17
ak. 89:25 Ps 72:8
al. 89:26 2Sm 7:14; 1Ch 22:10
am. 89:26 2Sm 22:47; Ps 18:2
an. 89:27 Ex 4:22; Jr 31:9; Col 1:15
ao. 89:28 2Ch 13:5; Ps 105:8
ap. 89:29 Lit as days of heaven
aq. 89:29 Is 9:7; Jr 33:17
ar. 89:30 2Sm 7:14; 1Kg 2:4
as. 89:31 1Sm 12:15
at. 89:32 Jb 9:34
au. 89:33 2Sm 7:15
av. 89:34 Lv 26:44; Jdg 2:1
aw. 89:35 Am 4:2
ax. 89:36 Ps 72:5,17
ay. 89:37 Jb 16:19; Lk 1:33
az. 89:38 1Ch 28:9; Ps 44:9
ba. 89:39 Lit have dishonored his crown to the ground
bb. 89:39 Ps 74:7; Lm 2:7; 5:16
bc. 89:40 Ps 80:12; Lm 2:2,5
bd. 89:41 Jr 30:16
be. 89:41 Ps 44:13; 79:4
bf. 89:42 Ps 13:4; 80:6
bg. 89:43 Ps 44:10
bh. 89:44 Hb obscure
bi. 89:44 Ezk 28:7
bj. 89:45 Is 54:4; Ezk 7:18; Ob 10
bk. 89:46 Ps 6:3; 13:1; 35:17; 79:5
bl. 89:47 Ps 39:6-7; 90:5-6,9-10
bm. 89:48 Ps 16:10; 22:29
bn. 89:49 2Sm 7:15; Jr 30:9; Ezk 34:23
bo. 89:50-51 Ps 69:9; 74:10,18,22
bp. 89:52 Ps 41:13; 72:19-20; 106:48
Psalm 88
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