Psalm 89
An artful song by Ethan the Ezrahite.

I will sing of your love forever, O Lord,
and testify to your faithfulness from generation to generation.
I declare that your love endures forever,
and your faithfulness is established in heaven.

"I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
I have sworn to my servant David:
I will establish your dynasty forever,
I will maintain your throne for generation after generation." 

Lord, let the heavens praise this wonder,
let the circle of celestial beings praise you for your faithfulness.
For who in the heavens can compare with the LORD,
who among the gods can match the LORD,
with God, so awesome in the council of the heavens,
feared by all who surround Him?
LORD, God of the heavenly hosts,
LORD, who is as strong as You?

Faithfulness surrounds You like a cloak.
You rule over the towering sea—
when its waves rise, you calm them.
You crushed and pierced Rahab,
scattering your enemies with your mighty arm.
The heavens are yours, and yours also the earth;
you founded the world and all that is in it.
The north and the south, you created them;
Tabor and Hermon sing your name.

Your arm performs great deeds,
mighty is your hand, raised is your right arm,
your throne rests on justice and righteousness,
love and faithfulness are at your service.
Blessed are the people who proclaim your praise
and live, O LORD, in the light of your countenance.
Day after day they shout your name with joy,
through your righteousness they are lifted up.
You are the glory of our strength,
through your favor you exalt our dignity.

We thank the LORD our shield,
the Holy One of Israel our king.
Once you spoke in a vision
to your faithful ones and said:

"I have offered help to a hero,
a boy from the people exalted.
In David I found a servant,
I anointed him with holy oil.

My hand supports him,
my arm makes him strong,
no enemy will outdo him,
no evildoer will subdue him,
I will defeat his attackers before his eyes,
crush his haters.

My faithfulness and my love accompany him,
through my name he will rise in stature.
I will place his left hand on the sea,
his right hand on the river.
He will call to me, "You are my father,
my God, the rock that saves me!"
I will make him my firstborn,
the highest of the kings of the earth.
My love will always protect him,
my covenant with him is firm.

I will maintain his dynasty forever,
his throne as long as the heavens exist.
If his sons turn away from my law,
do not live according to my precepts,
violate my laws,
do not obey my commands,
then I will punish them for their crimes,
punish their sins with blows.

But I will not take away my love from him,
nor break my faithfulness to him,
I will not violate my covenant,
nor revoke my words.
Once I have sworn by my holiness,
I will never break my word to David.
His dynasty will live on forever,
his throne will stand before me like the sun,
like the moon that endures forever,
a faithful witness in the heavens." 

Yet you have rejected and forsaken him,
poured out your wrath upon your anointed one,
despised the covenant with your servant,
trampled his crown and desecrated it.

You have demolished the walls of his city,
broken down all his strongholds,
passersby have robbed him,
neighboring nations have mocked him.

You have given his opponents the upper hand,
his enemies rejoice,
You have robbed his sword of its sharpness,
You have not kept him standing in battle.

You have extinguished his splendor,
overthrown his throne,
shortened the days of his youth,
covered him with shame.

How long, O Lord? Will you hide yourself forever,
will the fire of your anger burn?
Remember me and my fleeting existence.
How insignificant you have made man!
Is there anyone who will not see death,
who will escape the power of the grave?

Where is your love of old, Lord,
did you not swear allegiance to David?
Remember, Lord, that your servants are mocked,
that I suffer the scorn of many nations.
Your enemies, Lord, mock me,
they mock your anointed one wherever he goes.
Praise the Lord forever.

Amen, amen.

Reflections 

As