Psalms 89

I will sing of the mercies of the LORD for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.

1I will sing about the LORD's kind love forever. I will tell every family that he keeps his promises.

2For I have said, Mercy shall be built up for ever: thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very heavens.

2I said, "God's love is built to last forever. His promises are as steady as the sky."

3I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant,

3You said, "I made a promise with the man I chose. I gave my word to David, my servant."

4Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations. Selah.

4"Your family will rule forever. Your throne will last for all time to come." Selah

Note"Selah" is a word left in Hebrew. It may have marked a pause or a change in the music.

5And the heavens shall praise thy wonders, O LORD: thy faithfulness also in the congregation of the saints.

5The heavens praise the wonderful things you do, LORD. Your holy ones praise you for keeping your word.

6For who in the heaven can be compared unto the LORD? who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the LORD?

6Who up in the sky can compare with the LORD? No being in heaven is like him.

7God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him.

7Where his holy ones meet, God is honored deeply. Everyone around him treats him with wonder.

8O LORD God of hosts, who is a strong LORD like unto thee? or to thy faithfulness round about thee?

8LORD God who leads heaven's armies, who is strong like you? Your faithfulness is all around you.

9Thou rulest the raging of the sea: when the waves thereof arise, thou stillest them.

9You rule the wild, roaring sea. When the waves rise up high, you make them calm.

10Thou hast broken Rahab in pieces, as one that is slain; thou hast scattered thine enemies with thy strong arm.

10You crushed Rahab, the great sea monster, like something dead. You scattered your enemies with your strong arm.

NoteRahab here is not a person. It is a name for a huge sea monster, used as a picture of powerful enemies.

11The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine: as for the world and the fulness thereof, thou hast founded them.

11The heavens are yours, and the earth is yours too. You made the world and everything in it.

12The north and the south thou hast created them: Tabor and Hermon shall rejoice in thy name.

12You made the north and the south. Mount Tabor and Mount Hermon shout for joy at your name.

13Thou hast a mighty arm: strong is thy hand, and high is thy right hand.

13Your arm is mighty. Your hand is strong. Your right hand is lifted up high.

14Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face.

14Doing what is right and fair holds up your throne. Love and truth walk ahead of you.

15Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance.

15Happy are the people who know the glad shout. They walk in your light, LORD.

NoteThe "joyful sound" is the loud shout and horn blast at Israel's festivals.

16In thy name shall they rejoice all the day: and in thy righteousness shall they be exalted.

16All day long they are glad because of your name. Your goodness lifts them up.

17For thou art the glory of their strength: and in thy favour our horn shall be exalted.

17You are the glory of their strength. Because you are kind, our strength is lifted high.

18For the LORD is our defence; and the Holy One of Israel is our king.

18Our shield belongs to the LORD. Our king belongs to the Holy One of Israel.

19Then thou spakest in vision to thy holy one, and saidst, I have laid help upon one that is mighty; I have exalted one chosen out of the people.

19Long ago you spoke in a vision, a picture from God, to your faithful ones. You said, "I have given help to a strong soldier. I picked one man out of the people and lifted him high."

20I have found David my servant; with my holy oil have I anointed him:

20"I found David, my servant. I poured holy oil on him to show he is my chosen king."

21With whom my hand shall be established: mine arm also shall strengthen him.

21"My hand will hold him up. My arm will make him strong."

22The enemy shall not exact upon him; nor the son of wickedness afflict him.

22"No enemy will force money out of him. No wicked person will crush him."

23And I will beat down his foes before his face, and plague them that hate him.

23"I will crush his enemies right in front of him. I will strike down those who hate him."

24But my faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him: and in my name shall his horn be exalted.

24"My faithful love will stay with him. Because of my name, his strength will be lifted high."

25I will set his hand also in the sea, and his right hand in the rivers.

25"I will set his hand over the sea. His right hand will reach across the rivers."

26He shall cry unto me, Thou art my father, my God, and the rock of my salvation.

26"He will call to me, 'You are my Father, my God, the rock who saves me.'"

27Also I will make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth.

27"I will treat him like my oldest son. He will be the highest of all kings on earth."

28My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him.

28"I will keep loving him forever. My promise to him will stay firm."

29His seed also will I make to endure for ever, and his throne as the days of heaven.

29"His family will go on forever. His throne will last as long as the sky."

30If his children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments;

30"His children may turn away from my teaching. They may not live by my rules."

31If they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments;

31"They may break my laws and not keep my commands."

32Then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes.

32"Then I will punish their sin with a rod. I will punish their wrong with blows."

33Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail.

33"But I will not take my faithful love away from him. I will always keep my word."

34My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.

34"I will not break my promise. I will not change the words I spoke."

35Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David.

35"I made this promise once, swearing by my own holiness. I will not lie to David."

36His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me.

36"His family will last forever. His throne will last before me like the sun."

37It shall be established for ever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven. Selah.

37"It will stand forever like the moon, a faithful sign up in the sky." Selah

38But thou hast cast off and abhorred, thou hast been wroth with thine anointed.

38But now you have pushed away the king you chose. You have turned from him in anger.

39Thou hast made void the covenant of thy servant: thou hast profaned his crown by casting it to the ground.

39You have thrown away your promise to your servant. You dropped his crown into the dirt.

40Thou hast broken down all his hedges; thou hast brought his strong holds to ruin.

40You have knocked down all his walls. You turned his strong forts into piles of stone.

41All that pass by the way spoil him: he is a reproach to his neighbours.

41Everyone who walks by takes his things. His neighbors make fun of him.

42Thou hast set up the right hand of his adversaries; thou hast made all his enemies to rejoice.

42You made his enemies strong instead. You let all of them cheer.

43Thou hast also turned the edge of his sword, and hast not made him to stand in the battle.

43You made his sword too dull to help. You did not hold him up in battle.

44Thou hast made his glory to cease, and cast his throne down to the ground.

44You put an end to his greatness. You threw his throne down to the ground.

45The days of his youth hast thou shortened: thou hast covered him with shame. Selah.

45You made his young days end early. You covered him with shame. Selah

46How long, LORD? wilt thou hide thyself for ever? shall thy wrath burn like fire?

46How long, LORD? Will you hide from us forever? Will your anger keep burning like fire?

47Remember how short my time is: wherefore hast thou made all men in vain?

47Remember how short my life is. Why did you make people to end so quickly?

48What man is he that liveth, and shall not see death? shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave? Selah.

48Who can live and never see death? Can anyone save himself from the grave? Selah

49Lord, where are thy former lovingkindnesses, which thou swarest unto David in thy truth?

49Lord, where is the kind love you showed long ago? You truly promised it to David.

50Remember, Lord, the reproach of thy servants; how I do bear in my bosom the reproach of all the mighty people;

50Remember, Lord, how people insult your servants. I carry those insults inside me.

51Wherewith thine enemies have reproached, O LORD; wherewith they have reproached the footsteps of thine anointed.

51Your enemies say cruel things, LORD. They laugh at every step the king you chose takes.

52Blessed be the LORD for evermore. Amen, and Amen.

52Praise the LORD forever. Amen and amen, which means "yes, this is true."