3I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant,
4Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations. Selah.
8O LORD God of hosts, who is a strong LORD like unto thee? or to thy faithfulness round about thee?
9Thou rulest the raging of the sea: when the waves thereof arise, thou stillest them.
12The north and the south thou hast created them: Tabor and Hermon shall rejoice in thy name.
13Thou hast a mighty arm: strong is thy hand, and high is thy right hand.
14Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face.
16In thy name shall they rejoice all the day: and in thy righteousness shall they be exalted.
17For thou art the glory of their strength: and in thy favour our horn shall be exalted.
18For the LORD is our defence; and the Holy One of Israel is our king.
20I have found David my servant; with my holy oil have I anointed him:
21With whom my hand shall be established: mine arm also shall strengthen him.
22The enemy shall not exact upon him; nor the son of wickedness afflict him.
23And I will beat down his foes before his face, and plague them that hate him.
24But my faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him: and in my name shall his horn be exalted.
25I will set his hand also in the sea, and his right hand in the rivers.
26He shall cry unto me, Thou art my father, my God, and the rock of my salvation.
27Also I will make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth.
28My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him.
29His seed also will I make to endure for ever, and his throne as the days of heaven.
30If his children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments;
31If they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments;
32Then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes.
34My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.
35Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David.
36His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me.
37It shall be established for ever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven. Selah.
38But thou hast cast off and abhorred, thou hast been wroth with thine anointed.
40Thou hast broken down all his hedges; thou hast brought his strong holds to ruin.
41All that pass by the way spoil him: he is a reproach to his neighbours.
42Thou hast set up the right hand of his adversaries; thou hast made all his enemies to rejoice.
43Thou hast also turned the edge of his sword, and hast not made him to stand in the battle.
44Thou hast made his glory to cease, and cast his throne down to the ground.
45The days of his youth hast thou shortened: thou hast covered him with shame. Selah.
46How long, LORD? wilt thou hide thyself for ever? shall thy wrath burn like fire?
47Remember how short my time is: wherefore hast thou made all men in vain?
49Lord, where are thy former lovingkindnesses, which thou swarest unto David in thy truth?
52Blessed be the LORD for evermore. Amen, and Amen.
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Psalms 89
The Lord’s Covenant with David, and Israel’s Afflictions.
1I will sing of the goodness and lovingkindness of the Lord forever;
With my mouth I will make known Your faithfulness from generation to generation.
2For I have said, “Goodness and lovingkindness will be built up forever;
In the heavens [unchangeable and majestic] You will establish Your faithfulness.”
3[God has said] “I have made a covenant with My chosen one;
I have sworn to David My servant,
4I will establish your seed forever
And I will build up your throne for all generations.” Selah.
5The heavens (angels) praise Your wonders, O Lord,
Your faithfulness also in the assembly of the holy ones.
6For who in the heavens can be compared to the Lord?
Who among the divine beings is like the Lord,
7A God greatly feared and reverently worshiped in the council of the holy [angelic] ones,
And awesome above all those who are around Him?
8O Lord God of hosts, who is like You, O mighty Lord?
Your faithfulness surrounds You [as an intrinsic, unchangeable part of Your very being].
9You rule the swelling of the sea;
When its waves rise, You still them.
10You have crushed Rahab (Egypt) like one who is slain;
You have scattered Your enemies with Your mighty arm.
11The heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours;
The world and all that is in it, You have founded and established them.
12The north and the south, You have created them;
Mount Tabor and Mount Hermon shout for joy at Your name.
13You have a strong arm;
Mighty is Your hand, Your right hand is exalted.
14Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne;
Lovingkindness and truth go before You.
15Blessed and happy are the people who know the joyful sound [of the trumpet’s blast]!
They walk, O Lord, in the light and favor of Your countenance!
16In Your name they rejoice all the day,
And in Your righteousness they are exalted.
17For You are the glory of their strength [their proud adornment],
And by Your favor our horn is exalted.
18For our shield belongs to the Lord,
And our king to the Holy One of Israel.
19Once You spoke in a vision to Your godly ones,
And said, “I have given help to one who is mighty [giving him the power to be a champion for Israel];
I have exalted one chosen from the people.
20I have found David My servant;
With My holy oil I have anointed him,
21With whom My hand shall be established and steadfast;
My arm also shall strengthen him.
22The enemy will not outwit him,
Nor will the wicked man afflict or humiliate him.
23I will crush his adversaries before him,
And strike those who hate him.
24My faithfulness and My steadfast lovingkindness shall be with him,
And in My name shall his horn be exalted [great power and prosperity shall be conferred upon him].
25I will also set his hand on the [Mediterranean] sea,
And his right hand on the rivers [the tributaries of the Euphrates].
26He will cry to Me, ‘You are my Father,
My God, and the rock of my salvation.’
27I will also make him My firstborn (preeminent),
The highest of the kings of the earth.
28My lovingkindness I will keep for him forevermore,
And My covenant will be confirmed to him.
29His descendants I will establish forever,
And his throne [will endure] as the days of heaven.
30“If his children turn away from My law
And do not walk in My ordinances,
31If they break My statutes
And do not keep My commandments,
32Then I will punish their transgression with the rod [of discipline],
And [correct] their wickedness with stripes.
33Nevertheless, I will not break off My lovingkindness from him,
Nor allow My faithfulness to fail.
34My covenant I will not violate,
Nor will I alter the utterance of My lips.
35Once [for all] I have sworn by My holiness, [My vow which cannot be violated];
I will not lie to David.
36His descendants shall endure forever
And his throne [will continue] as the sun before Me.
37It shall be established forever like the moon,
And the witness in the heavens is ever faithful.” Selah.
38But [in apparent contradiction of all this] You [the faithful Lord] have cast off and rejected;
You have been full of wrath against Your anointed.
39You have spurned and repudiated the covenant with Your servant;
You have profaned his crown [by casting it] in the dust.
40You have broken down all his [city] walls;
You have brought his strongholds to ruin.
41All who pass along the road rob him;
He has become the scorn of his neighbors.
42You have exalted the right hand of his foes;
You have made all his enemies rejoice.
43Also, You have turned back the edge of his sword
And have not made him [strong enough] to stand in battle.
44You have put an end to his splendor
And have hurled his throne to the ground.
45You have shortened the days of his youth;
You have covered him with shame. Selah.
46How long, O Lord?
Will You hide Yourself forever?
Will Your wrath burn like fire?
47Remember how fleeting my lifetime is;
For what vanity, [for what emptiness, for what futility, for what wisp of smoke] You have created all the sons of men!
48What man can live and not see death?
Can he rescue his soul from the [powerful] hand of Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead)? Selah.
49O Lord, where are Your former lovingkindnesses [so abundant in the days of David and Solomon],
Which You swore to David in Your faithfulness?
50Remember, O Lord, the reproach of Your servants [scorned, insulted, and disgraced];
How I bear in my heart the reproach of all the many peoples,
51With which Your enemies have taunted, O Lord,
With which they have mocked the footsteps of Your anointed.
52Blessed be the Lord forevermore!
Amen and Amen.
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Psalms 89
Will You Reject Us Forever?
Poems by Ethan the Ezrahite for instruction
First Poem – God’s Promises to David
1This forever-song I sing of the gentle love of God!
Young and old alike will hear about
your faithful, steadfast love—never failing!
2Here’s my chorus: “Your mercy grows through the ages.
Your faithfulness is firm, rising up to the skies.”
3I heard the Lord say, “My covenant has been made,
and I’m committed forever to my chosen one, David.
4I have made my oath that there will be sons of David forever,
sons that are kings through every generation.”
Pause in his presence
5-6Can you hear it? Heaven is filled with your praises, O Lord!
All the holy ones are praising you for your miracles.
The sons of God are all praising you for your mighty wonders.
We could search the skies forever and never find one like you.
All the mighty angels could not be compared to you.
7You are a God who is greatly to be feared
as you preside over the council of holy ones.
You are surrounded by trembling ones
who are overwhelmed with fear and dread,
stunned as they stand in awe of you!
8So awesome are you, O Yahweh, Lord God of Angel Armies!
Where could we find anyone as glorious as you?
Your faithfulness shines all around you!
9You rule over oceans and the swelling seas.
When their stormy waves rise, you speak, and they lie still.
10You crushed the strongholds of Egypt,
and all your enemies were scattered
at the mighty display of your glory-power.
11All the heavens and everything on earth belong to you,
for you are the Creator of all that is seen and unseen.
12The four corners of the earth were put in place by you.
You made the majestic mountains
that are still shouting their praises to your name.
13Breathtaking and awesome is your power!
Astounding and unbelievable
is your might and strength when it goes on display!
14Your glorious throne rests on a foundation
of righteousness and just verdicts.
Grace and truth are the attendants who go before you.
15O Lord, how blessed are the people
who know the triumphant shout,
for they walk in the radiance of your presence.
16We can do nothing but leap for joy all day long,
for we know who you are and what you do,
and you’ve exalted us on high.
17The glory of your splendor is our strength,
and your marvelous favor makes us even stronger,
lifting us even higher!
18You are our King, the holiest one of all;
your wraparound presence is our protection.
Second Poem – God Keeps His Promises
19-20You spoke to your prophets in visions, saying,
“I have found a mighty hero for my people.
I have chosen David as my loving servant and exalted him.
I have anointed him as king with the oil of my holiness.
21I will be strength to him, and I will give him
my grace to sustain him no matter what comes.
22None of his enemies will get the best of him,
nor will the wicked one overpower him.
23For I will crush his every adversary
and do away with all who hate him.
24Because I love him and treasure him,
my faithfulness will always protect him.
I will place my great favor upon him,
and I will cause his power and fame to increase.
25I will set his hand over the sea
and his right hand over the rivers.
26And he will come before me, saying,
‘You truly are my Father, my only God, and my strong deliverer!’
27I am setting him apart, favoring him as my firstborn son.
I will make him the most high king in all the earth!
28I will love him forever and always show him kindness.
My covenant with him will never be broken.
29For I have decreed that he will always have an heir—
a dynasty that will release the days of heaven on earth.
30-32But if his children turn from me and forsake my words,
refusing to walk in my truth, renouncing and violating my laws,
then I will surely punish them for their sins
with my stern discipline until they regret it.
33But I will never, no never, lift my faithful love from off their lives.
My kindness will prevail and I will never disown them.
34-35How could I revoke my covenant of love that I promised David?
For I have given him my word, my holy, irrevocable word.
How could I lie to my loving servant David?
36-37Sons of David will continue to reign on his throne,
and their kingdom will endure as long as the sun is in the sky.
This covenant will be an unbreakable promise that
I have established for all time.”
Pause in his presence
Third Poem – Why Has Our King Been Defeated?
38Why have you rejected me, the one you anointed?
Why would you cast me away?
Why would you lose your temper with me?
39You have torn up the contract you made with me, your servant.
You have stripped away my crown and thrown it to the ground.
40You have torn down all my walls of defense
and have made my every hiding place into ruins.
41All the passersby attack and rob me while my neighbors mock!
42Instead of fighting for me, you take the side of my enemies,
even giving them strength to subdue me,
and then watched them celebrate their victory!
43You are no longer helping me in battle.
You’ve forsaken me to the swords of those
who would strike me down.
44You’ve made my regal splendor to decrease
and allowed my rule to be overthrown.
45Because of you, I’ve become old before my time,
and I’m publicly disgraced!
Pause in his presence
Fourth Poem – Save Us, God
46How long will you hide your love from me?
Have you left me for good?
How long will your anger continue to burn against me?
47Remember, Lord, I am nothing but dust,
here today and so soon blown away.
Is this all you’ve created us for? For nothing but this?
48Which one of us will live forever?
We are all mortal, terminal, for we will all one day die.
Which one of us would ever escape our appointment with death
and dodge our own funeral?
Pause in his presence
49So God, where is all this love and kindness you promised us?
What happened to your covenant with David?
50Have you forgotten how your own servants are being slandered?
Lord God, it seems like I’m carrying in my heart
all the pain and abuse of many people.
51They have relentlessly insulted and persecuted us,
your anointed ones.
52Nevertheless, blessed be our God forever and ever.
Amen! Faithful is our King!
Book 4
The Numbers Psalms
Psalms of our pilgrimage on earth
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