Psalm 89

Common English Bible

⁵ Heaven thanks you for your wondrous acts, Lord—
    for your faithfulness too—
    in the assembly of the holy ones.
⁶ Is there any in the sky who could compare to the Lord?
    Who among the gods is equal to the Lord?
⁷ God is respected in the council of the holy ones;
    God is awesome and revered more than all those around him.
⁸ Who is like you, Lord God of heavenly forces?
    Mighty Lord, your faithfulness surrounds you!
⁹ You rule over the surging sea:
    When its waves rise up,
    it’s you who makes them still.
¹⁰ It’s you who crushed Rahab like a dead body;
    you scattered your enemies with your strong arm.
¹¹ Heaven is yours! The earth too!
    The world and all that fills it—
    you made all of it! North and south—you created them!
¹²     The mountains Tabor and Hermon
    shout praises to your name.
¹³ You have a powerful arm;
    your hand is strong;
    your strong hand is raised high!
¹⁴ Your throne is built on righteousness and justice;
    loyal love and faithfulness stand in front of you.

¹⁵ The people who know the celebratory shout are truly happy!
    They walk in the light of your presence, Lord!
¹⁶ They rejoice in your name all day long
    and are uplifted by your righteousness
¹⁷     because you are the splendor of their strength.
By your favor you make us strong
¹⁸     because our shield is the Lord’s own;
    our king belongs to the holy one of Israel!

¹⁹ Once you spoke in a vision
    to your faithful servants:
I placed a crown on a strong man.
    I raised up someone specially chosen from the people.
²⁰ I discovered my servant David.
    I anointed him with my holy oil.
²¹ My hand will sustain him—
    yes, my arm will strengthen him!
²² No enemy will oppress him;
    no wicked person will make him suffer.
²³ I will crush all his foes in front of him.
    I will strike down all those who hate him.
²⁴ My faithfulness and my loyal love will be with him.
    He will be strengthened by my name.
²⁵ I will set his hand on the sea.
    I will set his strong hand on the rivers.
²⁶ He will cry out to me:
    “You are my father,
    my God, the rock of my salvation.”
²⁷ Yes, I’ll make him the one born first—
    I’ll make him the high king of all earth’s kings.
²⁸ I will always guard my loyal love toward him.
    My covenant with him will last forever.
²⁹ I will establish his dynasty for all time.
    His throne will last as long as heaven does.
³⁰ But if his children ever abandon my Instruction,
    stop following my rules—
³¹         if they treat my statutes like dirt,
        stop keeping my commandments—
³²     then I will punish their sin with a stick,
        and I will punish their wrongdoing with a severe beating.
³³ But even then I won’t withdraw my loyal love from him.
    I won’t betray my faithfulness.
³⁴     I won’t break my covenant.
    I won’t renege on what crossed my lips.
³⁵ By my own holiness I’ve sworn one thing:
    I will not lie to David.
³⁶     His dynasty will last forever.
    His throne will be like the sun, always before me.
³⁷     It will be securely established forever;
    like the moon, a faithful witness in the sky. Selah

³⁸ But you, God, have rejected and despised him.
    You’ve become infuriated with your anointed one.
³⁹     You’ve canceled the covenant with your servant.
    You’ve thrown his crown in the dirt.
⁴⁰     You’ve broken through all his walls.
    You’ve made his strongholds a pile of ruins.
⁴¹ All those who pass by plunder him.
    He’s nothing but a joke to his neighbors.
⁴² You lifted high his foes’ strong hand.
    You gave all his enemies reason to celebrate.
⁴³ Yes, you dulled the edge of his sword
    and didn’t support him in battle.
⁴⁴     You’ve put an end to his splendor.
    You’ve thrown his throne to the ground.
⁴⁵     You’ve shortened the prime of his life.
    You’ve wrapped him up in shame. Selah

⁴⁶ How long will it last, Lord?
    Will you hide yourself forever?
    How long will your wrath burn like fire?
⁴⁷ Remember how short my life is!
    Have you created humans for no good reason?
⁴⁸ Who lives their life without seeing death?
    Who is ever rescued from the grip of the grave?^[d] Selah
⁴⁹ Where now are your loving acts
    from long ago, my Lord—
    the same ones you promised to David
    by your own faithfulness?
⁵⁰ Remember your servant’s abuse, my Lord!
    Remember how I bear in my heart
    all the insults of the nations,^[e]
51         the ones your enemies, Lord, use—
        the ones they use to abuse
        every step your anointed one takes.

⁵² Bless the Lord forever!
    Amen and Amen!