I Will Sing of the Steadfast Love of the Lord

A Maskil[a] of (A)Ethan the Ezrahite.

89 (B)I will sing of (C)the steadfast love of the Lord, forever;
    with my mouth I will make known your (D)faithfulness to all generations.
For I said, (E)“Steadfast love will be built up forever;
    in the heavens (F)you will establish your (G)faithfulness.”
You have said, “I have made (H)a covenant with my (I)chosen one;
    I have (J)sworn to David my servant:
‘I will establish your (K)offspring forever,
    and build your (L)throne for all generations.’” Selah

Let (M)the heavens praise your (N)wonders, O Lord,
    your faithfulness in the assembly of (O)the holy ones!
For (P)who in the skies can be compared to the Lord?
    (Q)Who among the heavenly beings[b] is like the Lord,
a God greatly (R)to be feared in the council of (S)the holy ones,
    and awesome above all (T)who are around him?
O Lord God of hosts,
    (U)who is mighty as you are, O (V)Lord,
    with your faithfulness all around you?
You rule the raging of the sea;
    when its waves rise, you (W)still them.
10 You (X)crushed (Y)Rahab like a carcass;
    you (Z)scattered your enemies with your mighty arm.
11 (AA)The heavens are yours; the earth also is yours;
    (AB)the world and all that is in it, you have (AC)founded them.
12 (AD)The north and the south, you have created them;
    (AE)Tabor and (AF)Hermon (AG)joyously praise your name.
13 You have a mighty arm;
    strong is your hand, high your right hand.
14 (AH)Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;
    (AI)steadfast love and faithfulness go before you.
15 Blessed are the people who know (AJ)the festal shout,
    who walk, O Lord, in (AK)the light of your face,
16 who exult in your (AL)name all the day
    and in your righteousness are (AM)exalted.
17 For you are (AN)the glory of their strength;
    by your favor our (AO)horn is exalted.
18 For our (AP)shield belongs to the Lord,
    our king to (AQ)the Holy One of Israel.

19 (AR)Of old you spoke in a vision to your godly one,[c] and said:
    “I have (AS)granted help to one who is (AT)mighty;
    I have exalted one (AU)chosen from the people.
20 (AV)I have found David, my servant;
    with my holy oil I have (AW)anointed him,
21 so that my (AX)hand shall be established with him;
    my arm also shall strengthen him.
22 The enemy shall not outwit him;
    (AY)the wicked shall not humble him.
23 I will (AZ)crush his foes before him
    and strike down those who hate him.
24 My (BA)faithfulness and my (BB)steadfast love shall be with him,
    and in my name shall his (BC)horn be exalted.
25 I will set his hand on (BD)the sea
    and his right hand on (BE)the rivers.
26 He shall cry to me, ‘You are my (BF)Father,
    my God, and (BG)the Rock of my salvation.’
27 And I will make him the (BH)firstborn,
    (BI)the highest of the kings of the earth.
28 My steadfast love I will keep for him forever,
    and my (BJ)covenant will stand firm[d] for him.
29 I will establish his (BK)offspring forever
    and his (BL)throne as (BM)the days of the heavens.
30 (BN)If his children forsake my law
    and do not walk according to my rules,[e]
31 if they violate my statutes
    and do not keep my commandments,
32 then I will punish their transgression with (BO)the rod
    and their iniquity with stripes,
33 but I will not remove from him my steadfast love
    or be false to my faithfulness.
34 I will not violate my (BP)covenant
    or alter the word that went forth from my lips.
35 Once for all I have sworn (BQ)by my holiness;
    I will not (BR)lie to David.
36 His (BS)offspring shall endure forever,
    (BT)his (BU)throne as long as (BV)the sun before me.
37 Like (BW)the moon it shall be established forever,
    (BX)a faithful witness in the skies.” Selah

38 But now you have (BY)cast off and rejected;
    you are full of wrath against your (BZ)anointed.
39 You have (CA)renounced (CB)the covenant with your servant;
    you have (CC)defiled his (CD)crown in the dust.
40 You have (CE)breached all his walls;
    you have laid his strongholds in ruins.
41 (CF)All who pass by plunder him;
    he has become (CG)the scorn of his neighbors.
42 You have exalted the right hand of his foes;
    you have made all his enemies rejoice.
43 You have also turned back the edge of his sword,
    and you have not made him stand in battle.
44 You have made his splendor to cease
    and cast his throne to the ground.
45 You have cut short (CH)the days of his youth;
    you have (CI)covered him with shame. Selah

46 (CJ)How long, O Lord? Will you hide yourself forever?
    How long will your wrath (CK)burn like fire?
47 (CL)Remember (CM)how short my (CN)time is!
    For what vanity you have created all the children of man!
48 (CO)What man can live and never (CP)see death?
    Who can deliver his soul from the power of (CQ)Sheol? Selah

49 Lord, where is your (CR)steadfast love of old,
    which by your (CS)faithfulness you swore to David?
50 (CT)Remember, O Lord, how your servants are mocked,
    and how I bear in my (CU)heart the insults[f] of all the many nations,
51 with which your enemies mock, O Lord,
    with which they mock (CV)the footsteps of your (CW)anointed.

52 (CX)Blessed be the Lord forever!
Amen and Amen.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 89:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
  2. Psalm 89:6 Hebrew the sons of God, or the sons of might
  3. Psalm 89:19 Some Hebrew manuscripts godly ones
  4. Psalm 89:28 Or will remain faithful
  5. Psalm 89:30 Or my just decrees
  6. Psalm 89:50 Hebrew lacks the insults

Psalm 89[a]

A maskil[b] of Ethan the Ezrahite.

I will sing(A) of the Lord’s great love forever;
    with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known(B)
    through all generations.
I will declare that your love stands firm forever,
    that you have established your faithfulness in heaven itself.(C)
You said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
    I have sworn to David my servant,
‘I will establish your line forever
    and make your throne firm through all generations.’”[c](D)

The heavens(E) praise your wonders, Lord,
    your faithfulness too, in the assembly(F) of the holy ones.
For who in the skies above can compare with the Lord?
    Who is like the Lord among the heavenly beings?(G)
In the council(H) of the holy ones(I) God is greatly feared;
    he is more awesome than all who surround him.(J)
Who is like you,(K) Lord God Almighty?(L)
    You, Lord, are mighty, and your faithfulness surrounds you.

You rule over the surging sea;
    when its waves mount up, you still them.(M)
10 You crushed Rahab(N) like one of the slain;
    with your strong arm you scattered(O) your enemies.
11 The heavens are yours,(P) and yours also the earth;(Q)
    you founded the world and all that is in it.(R)
12 You created the north and the south;
    Tabor(S) and Hermon(T) sing for joy(U) at your name.
13 Your arm is endowed with power;
    your hand is strong, your right hand exalted.(V)

14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;(W)
    love and faithfulness go before you.(X)
15 Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you,
    who walk(Y) in the light(Z) of your presence, Lord.
16 They rejoice in your name(AA) all day long;
    they celebrate your righteousness.
17 For you are their glory and strength,(AB)
    and by your favor you exalt our horn.[d](AC)
18 Indeed, our shield[e](AD) belongs to the Lord,
    our king(AE) to the Holy One of Israel.

19 Once you spoke in a vision,
    to your faithful people you said:
“I have bestowed strength on a warrior;
    I have raised up a young man from among the people.
20 I have found David(AF) my servant;(AG)
    with my sacred oil(AH) I have anointed(AI) him.
21 My hand will sustain him;
    surely my arm will strengthen him.(AJ)
22 The enemy will not get the better of him;(AK)
    the wicked will not oppress(AL) him.
23 I will crush his foes before him(AM)
    and strike down his adversaries.(AN)
24 My faithful love will be with him,(AO)
    and through my name his horn[f] will be exalted.
25 I will set his hand over the sea,
    his right hand over the rivers.(AP)
26 He will call out to me, ‘You are my Father,(AQ)
    my God, the Rock(AR) my Savior.’(AS)
27 And I will appoint him to be my firstborn,(AT)
    the most exalted(AU) of the kings(AV) of the earth.
28 I will maintain my love to him forever,
    and my covenant with him will never fail.(AW)
29 I will establish his line forever,
    his throne as long as the heavens endure.(AX)

30 “If his sons forsake my law
    and do not follow my statutes,
31 if they violate my decrees
    and fail to keep my commands,
32 I will punish their sin with the rod,
    their iniquity with flogging;(AY)
33 but I will not take my love from him,(AZ)
    nor will I ever betray my faithfulness.
34 I will not violate my covenant
    or alter what my lips have uttered.(BA)
35 Once for all, I have sworn by my holiness—
    and I will not lie to David—
36 that his line will continue forever
    and his throne endure before me like the sun;(BB)
37 it will be established forever like the moon,
    the faithful witness in the sky.”(BC)

38 But you have rejected,(BD) you have spurned,
    you have been very angry with your anointed one.
39 You have renounced the covenant with your servant
    and have defiled his crown in the dust.(BE)
40 You have broken through all his walls(BF)
    and reduced his strongholds(BG) to ruins.
41 All who pass by have plundered(BH) him;
    he has become the scorn of his neighbors.(BI)
42 You have exalted the right hand of his foes;
    you have made all his enemies rejoice.(BJ)
43 Indeed, you have turned back the edge of his sword
    and have not supported him in battle.(BK)
44 You have put an end to his splendor
    and cast his throne to the ground.
45 You have cut short(BL) the days of his youth;
    you have covered him with a mantle of shame.(BM)

46 How long, Lord? Will you hide yourself forever?
    How long will your wrath burn like fire?(BN)
47 Remember how fleeting is my life.(BO)
    For what futility you have created all humanity!
48 Who can live and not see death,
    or who can escape the power of the grave?(BP)
49 Lord, where is your former great love,
    which in your faithfulness you swore to David?
50 Remember, Lord, how your servant has[g] been mocked,(BQ)
    how I bear in my heart the taunts of all the nations,
51 the taunts with which your enemies, Lord, have mocked,
    with which they have mocked every step of your anointed one.(BR)

52 Praise be to the Lord forever!
Amen and Amen.(BS)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 89:1 In Hebrew texts 89:1-52 is numbered 89:2-53.
  2. Psalm 89:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
  3. Psalm 89:4 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verses 37, 45 and 48.
  4. Psalm 89:17 Horn here symbolizes strong one.
  5. Psalm 89:18 Or sovereign
  6. Psalm 89:24 Horn here symbolizes strength.
  7. Psalm 89:50 Or your servants have

How Great Are Your Works

A Psalm. A Song for the Sabbath.

92 (A)It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
    to sing praises to your name, (B)O Most High;
to declare your (C)steadfast love in (D)the morning,
    and your (E)faithfulness by (F)night,
to the music of (G)the lute and (H)the harp,
    to the melody of (I)the lyre.
For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your (J)work;
    at (K)the works of your hands I sing for joy.

How (L)great are your works, O Lord!
    Your (M)thoughts are very (N)deep!
The stupid man cannot know;
    the fool cannot understand this:
that though (O)the wicked sprout like grass
    and all (P)evildoers flourish,
they are doomed to destruction forever;
    but you, O Lord, are (Q)on high forever.
For behold, your enemies, O Lord,
    for behold, your enemies shall perish;
    all evildoers shall be (R)scattered.

10 But you have exalted my (S)horn like that of (T)the wild ox;
    you have (U)poured over me[a] fresh oil.
11 My (V)eyes have seen the downfall of my enemies;
    my ears have heard the doom of my evil assailants.

12 (W)The righteous flourish like the palm tree
    and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
13 They are planted in the house of the Lord;
    they flourish in (X)the courts of our God.
14 They still bear fruit in old age;
    they are ever full of sap and green,
15 (Y)to declare that the Lord is upright;
    he is my (Z)rock, and there is (AA)no unrighteousness in him.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 92:10 Compare Syriac; the meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain

Psalm 92[a]

A psalm. A song. For the Sabbath day.

It is good to praise the Lord
    and make music(A) to your name,(B) O Most High,(C)
proclaiming your love in the morning(D)
    and your faithfulness at night,
to the music of the ten-stringed lyre(E)
    and the melody of the harp.(F)

For you make me glad by your deeds, Lord;
    I sing for joy(G) at what your hands have done.(H)
How great are your works,(I) Lord,
    how profound your thoughts!(J)
Senseless people(K) do not know,
    fools do not understand,
that though the wicked spring up like grass
    and all evildoers flourish,
    they will be destroyed forever.(L)

But you, Lord, are forever exalted.

For surely your enemies(M), Lord,
    surely your enemies will perish;
    all evildoers will be scattered.(N)
10 You have exalted my horn[b](O) like that of a wild ox;(P)
    fine oils(Q) have been poured on me.
11 My eyes have seen the defeat of my adversaries;
    my ears have heard the rout of my wicked foes.(R)

12 The righteous will flourish(S) like a palm tree,
    they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon;(T)
13 planted in the house of the Lord,
    they will flourish in the courts of our God.(U)
14 They will still bear fruit(V) in old age,
    they will stay fresh and green,
15 proclaiming, “The Lord is upright;
    he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.(W)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 92:1 In Hebrew texts 92:1-15 is numbered 92:2-16.
  2. Psalm 92:10 Horn here symbolizes strength.

Righteousness Through Faith in Christ

Finally, my brothers,[a] (A)rejoice in the Lord. (B)To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you.

Look out for (C)the dogs, look out for (D)the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. For (E)we are the circumcision, (F)who worship (G)by the Spirit of God[b] and (H)glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh— (I)though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: (J)circumcised on the eighth day, (K)of the people of Israel, (L)of the tribe of Benjamin, (M)a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, (N)a Pharisee; (O)as to zeal, (P)a persecutor of the church; (Q)as to righteousness under the law,[c] blameless. But (R)whatever gain I had, (S)I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of (T)the surpassing worth of (U)knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I (V)have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having (W)a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but (X)that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10 (Y)that I may know him and (Z)the power of his resurrection, and (AA)may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may (AB)attain the resurrection from the dead.

Straining Toward the Goal

12 Not that I have already (AC)obtained this or (AD)am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: (AE)forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for (AF)the prize of the upward (AG)call of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Let those of us who are (AH)mature think this way, and if in anything (AI)you think otherwise, (AJ)God will reveal that also to you. 16 Only (AK)let us hold true to what we have attained.

17 Brothers, (AL)join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk (AM)according to the example you have in us. 18 For (AN)many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you (AO)even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 (AP)Their end is destruction, (AQ)their god is their belly, and (AR)they glory in their shame, with (AS)minds set on earthly things. 20 But (AT)our citizenship is in heaven, and (AU)from it we (AV)await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform (AW)our lowly body (AX)to be like his glorious body, (AY)by the power that enables him even (AZ)to subject all things to himself.

Footnotes

  1. Philippians 3:1 Or brothers and sisters; also verses 13, 17
  2. Philippians 3:3 Some manuscripts God in spirit
  3. Philippians 3:6 Greek in the law

No Confidence in the Flesh

Further, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again,(A) and it is a safeguard for you. Watch out for those dogs,(B) those evildoers, those mutilators of the flesh. For it is we who are the circumcision,(C) we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus,(D) and who put no confidence in the flesh— though I myself have reasons for such confidence.(E)

If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised(F) on the eighth day, of the people of Israel,(G) of the tribe of Benjamin,(H) a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee;(I) as for zeal,(J) persecuting the church;(K) as for righteousness based on the law,(L) faultless.

But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss(M) for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing(N) Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ(O) and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law,(P) but that which is through faith in[a] Christ—the righteousness(Q) that comes from God on the basis of faith.(R) 10 I want to know(S) Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings,(T) becoming like him in his death,(U) 11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection(V) from the dead.

12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal,(W) but I press on to take hold(X) of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.(Y) 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind(Z) and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on(AA) toward the goal to win the prize(AB) for which God has called(AC) me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Following Paul’s Example

15 All of us, then, who are mature(AD) should take such a view of things.(AE) And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you.(AF) 16 Only let us live up to what we have already attained.

17 Join together in following my example,(AG) brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do.(AH) 18 For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears,(AI) many live as enemies of the cross of Christ.(AJ) 19 Their destiny(AK) is destruction, their god is their stomach,(AL) and their glory is in their shame.(AM) Their mind is set on earthly things.(AN) 20 But our citizenship(AO) is in heaven.(AP) And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,(AQ) 21 who, by the power(AR) that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies(AS) so that they will be like his glorious body.(AT)

Footnotes

  1. Philippians 3:9 Or through the faithfulness of