The Lantern

Psalms89

A maskil of Ethan the Ezrahite. Of the acts of loyal love of the LORD I will sing forever; to generation and generation I will make known your faithfulness with my mouth.

I Will Sing of His Love Forever

For I have said, “Loyal love will be built forever”; the heavens — you establish your faithfulness in them.

“I have cut a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn to David my servant:

Forever I will establish your seed, and I will build your throne to generation and generation.” Selah.

And the heavens give thanks for your wonder, LORD, your faithfulness also in the assembly of the holy ones.

For who in the sky can be compared to the LORD? Who is like the LORD among the sons of gods?

A Mighty One dreaded in the great council of the holy ones, and fearful above all around him.

LORD God of hosts, who is like you, mighty LORD? And your faithfulness is around you.

You rule the swelling of the sea; when its waves rise, you still them.

You yourself crushed Rahab like one slain; with the arm of your strength you scattered your enemies.

Yours are the heavens; yours also is the earth; the world and its fullness — you founded them.

North and south — you created them; Tabor and Hermon sing aloud in your name.

Yours is an arm with might; strong is your hand; high is your right hand.

Righteousness and judgment are the foundation of your throne; loyal love and faithfulness go before your face.

Happy is the people who know the shout; LORD, in the light of your face they walk.

In your name they exult all the day, and in your righteousness they are lifted up.

For you are the splendor of their strength, and in your favor our horn is lifted up.

For our shield belongs to the LORD, and our king to the Holy One of Israel.

Then you spoke in a vision to your loyal ones, and you said, “I have set help upon a mighty man; I have raised up a chosen one from the people.

I have found David my servant; with my holy oil I have anointed him,

with whom my hand will be firm; my arm also will strengthen him.

The enemy will not exact from him, and the son of injustice will not afflict him.

And I will shatter his foes before his face, and I will strike down those who hate him.

And my faithfulness and my loyal love will be with him, and in my name his horn will be lifted up.

And I will set his hand on the sea, and his right hand on the rivers.

He himself will call to me, ‘You are my Father, my God, and the rock of my salvation.’

I also will make him the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth.

Forever I will keep my loyal love for him, and my covenant is faithful to him.

And I will set his seed forever, and his throne like the days of the heavens.

If his sons forsake my instruction and do not walk in my judgments,

if they profane my statutes and do not keep my commandments,

then I will visit their transgression with a rod, and their iniquity with plagues.

But my loyal love I will not break off from him, and I will not be false in my faithfulness.

I will not profane my covenant, and what has gone out from my lips I will not change.

Once I have sworn by my holiness — I will not lie to David.

His seed will be forever, and his throne like the sun before me.

Like the moon it will be established forever, and the witness in the sky is faithful.” Selah.

But you yourself have rejected and spurned; you have been furious with your anointed.

You have renounced the covenant of your servant; you have profaned his crown to the ground.

You have broken through all his fences; you have made his fortresses a ruin.

All who pass along the way have plundered him; he has become a reproach to his neighbors.

You have lifted up the right hand of his foes; you have made all his enemies rejoice.

You have also turned back the edge of his sword, and you have not made him stand in the battle.

You have made his splendor cease, and you have hurled his throne to the ground.

You have shortened the days of his youth; you have wrapped him with shame. Selah.

How long, LORD? Will you hide yourself forever? Will your wrath burn like fire?

Remember — I, what is my span? For what emptiness you have created all the sons of man!

What man can live and not see death? Can he deliver his soul from the hand of Sheol? Selah.

Where are your former acts of loyal love, Lord, which you swore to David in your faithfulness?

Remember, Lord, the reproach of your servants — how I bear in my bosom all the many peoples —

with which your enemies have reproached, LORD, with which they have reproached the footsteps of your anointed.

Blessed be the LORD forever. Amen and amen.