(A special psalm by Ethan the Ezrahite.)
The Lord's Agreement with David
1 Our Lord, I will sing
of your love forever.
Everyone yet to be born
will hear me praise
your faithfulness.
2 I will tell them, “God's love
can always be trusted,
and his faithfulness lasts
as long as the heavens.”
3 You said, “David, my servant,
is my chosen one,
and this is the agreement
I made with him:
4 David, one of your descendants
will always be king.”
5 Our Lord, let the heavens
now praise your miracles,
and let all your angels
praise your faithfulness.
6 None who live in the heavens
can compare with you.
7 You are the most fearsome
of all who live in heaven;
all the others fear
and greatly honor you.
8 You are Lord God All-Powerful!
No one is as loving
and faithful as you are.
9 You rule the roaring sea
and calm its waves.
10 You crushed the monster Rahab,
and with your powerful arm
you scattered your enemies.
11 The heavens and the earth
belong to you.
And so does the world
with all its people
because you created them
12 and everything else.
Mount Tabor and Mount Hermon
gladly praise you.
13 You are strong and mighty!
14 Your kingdom is ruled
by justice and fairness
with love and faithfulness
leading the way.
15 Our Lord, you bless those
who join in the festival
and walk in the brightness
of your presence.
16 We are happy all day
because of you,
and your saving power
brings honor to us.
17 Your own glorious power
makes us strong,
and because of your kindness,
our strength increases.
18 Our Lord and our King,
the Holy One of Israel,
you are truly our shield.
19 In a vision, you once said
to your faithful followers:
“I have helped a mighty hero.
I chose him from my people
and made him famous.
20 David, my servant, is the one
I chose to be king,
21 and I will always be there
to help and strengthen him.
22 “No enemy will outsmart David,
and he won't be defeated
by any hateful people.
23 I will strike down and crush
his troublesome enemies.
24 He will always be able
to depend on my love,
and I will make him strong
with my own power.
25 I will let him rule the lands
across the rivers and seas.
26 He will say to me,
‘You are my Father
and my God,
as well as the mighty rock
where I am safe.’
27 “I have chosen David
as my first-born son,
and he will be the ruler
of all kings on earth.
28 My love for him will last,
and my agreement with him
will never be broken.
29 “One of David's descendants
will always be king,
and his family will rule
until the sky disappears.
30 Suppose some of his children
should reject my Law
and refuse my instructions.
31 Or suppose they should disobey
all of my teachings.
32 Then I will correct
and punish them
because of their sins.
33 But I will always love David
and faithfully keep all
of my promises to him.
34 “I won't break my agreement
or go back on my word.
35 I have sworn once and for all
by my own holy name,
and I won't lie to David.
36 His family will always rule.
I will let his kingdom last
as long as the sun 37 and moon
appear in the sky.”
38 You are now angry, Lord,
and you have turned your back
on your chosen king.
39 You broke off your agreement
with your servant, the king,
and you completely destroyed
his kingdom.
40 The walls of his city
have been broken through,
and every fortress
now lies in ruins.
41 All who pass by
take what they want,
and nations everywhere
joke about the king.
42 You made his enemies powerful
and let them celebrate.
43 But you forced him to retreat
because you did not fight
on his side.
44 You took his crown
and threw his throne
in the dirt.
45 You made an old man of him
and put him to shame.
46 How much longer, Lord?
Will you hide forever?
How long will your anger
keep burning like fire?
47 Remember, life is short!
Why did you empty our lives
of all meaning?
48 No one can escape the power
of death and the grave.
49 Our Lord, where is the love
you have always shown
and that you promised
so faithfully to David?
50 Remember your servant, Lord!
People make jokes about me,
and I suffer many insults.
51 I am your chosen one,
but your enemies chase
and make fun of me.
52 Our Lord, we praise you
forever. Amen and amen.
1 A Psalme to give instruction, of Ethan the Ezrahite. I will sing the mercies of the Lord for euer: with my mouth will I declare thy trueth from generation to generation. 2 For I said, Mercie shalbe set vp for euer: thy trueth shalt thou stablish in ye very heauens. 3 I haue made a couenant with my chosen: I haue sworne to Dauid my seruant, 4 Thy seede will I stablish for euer, and set vp thy throne from generation to generation. Selah. 5 O Lord, euen the heauens shall prayse thy wonderous worke: yea, thy trueth in the Congregation of the Saints. 6 For who is equall to the Lord in the heauen? and who is like the Lord among the sonnes of the gods? 7 God is very terrible in the assemblie of the Saints, and to be reuerenced aboue all, that are about him. 8 O Lord God of hostes, who is like vnto thee, which art a mightie Lord, and thy trueth is about thee? 9 Thou rulest the raging of the sea: when the waues thereof arise, thou stillest them. 10 Thou hast beaten downe Rahab as a man slaine: thou hast scattered thine enemies with thy mightie arme. 11 The heauens are thine, the earth also is thine: thou hast layde the foundation of the world, and all that therein is. 12 Thou hast created the North and the South: Tabor and Hermon shall reioyce in thy Name. 13 Thou hast a mightie arme: strong is thine hand, and high is thy right hand. 14 Righteousnesse and equitie are the stablishment of thy throne: mercy and trueth goe before thy face. 15 Blessed is the people, that can reioyce in thee: they shall walke in the light of thy countenance, O Lord. 16 They shall reioyce continually in thy Name, and in thy righteousnes shall they exalt them selues. 17 For thou art the glory of their strength, and by thy fauour our hornes shall be exalted. 18 For our shield apperteineth to the Lord, and our King to the holy one of Israel. 19 Thou spakest then in a vision vnto thine Holy one, and saydest, I haue layde helpe vpon one that is mightie: I haue exalted one chosen out of the people. 20 I haue found Dauid my seruant: with mine holy oyle haue I anoynted him. 21 Therefore mine hande shall be established with him, and mine arme shall strengthen him. 22 The enemie shall not oppresse him, neither shall the wicked hurt him. 23 But I will destroy his foes before his face, and plague them that hate him. 24 My trueth also and my mercie shall be with him, and in my Name shall his horne be exalted. 25 I will set his hand also in the sea, and his right hand in the floods. 26 He shall cry vnto mee, Thou art my Father, my God and the rocke of my saluation. 27 Also I wil make him my first borne, higher then the Kings of the earth. 28 My mercie will I keepe for him for euermore, and my couenant shall stande fast with him. 29 His seede also will I make to endure for euer, and his throne as the dayes of heauen. 30 But if his children forsake my Lawe, and walke not in my iudgements: 31 If they breake my statutes, and keepe not my commandements: 32 Then will I visite their transgression with the rod, and their iniquitie with strokes. 33 Yet my louing kindnesse will I not take from him, neither will I falsifie my trueth. 34 My couenant wil I not breake, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips. 35 I haue sworne once by mine holines, that I will not fayle Dauid, saying, 36 His seede shall endure for euer, and his throne shalbe as the sunne before me. 37 He shalbe established for euermore as the moone, and as a faythfull witnes in the heauen. Selah. 38 But thou hast reiected and abhorred, thou hast bene angry with thine Anoynted. 39 Thou hast broken the couenant of thy seruant, and profaned his crowne, casting it on the ground. 40 Thou hast broken downe all his walles: thou hast layd his fortresses in ruine. 41 All that goe by the way, spoyle him: he is a rebuke vnto his neighbours. 42 Thou hast set vp the right hand of his enemies, and made all his aduersaries to reioyce. 43 Thou hast also turned the edge of his sworde, and hast not made him to stand in the battell. 44 Thou hast caused his dignitie to decay, and cast his throne to the ground. 45 The dayes of his youth hast thou shortned, and couered him with shame. Selah. 46 Lord, howe long wilt thou hide thy selfe, for euer? shall thy wrath burne like fire? 47 Remember of what time I am: wherefore shouldest thou create in vaine all the children of men? 48 What man liueth, and shall not see death? shall hee deliuer his soule from the hande of the graue? Selah. 49 Lord, where are thy former mercies, which thou swarest vnto Dauid in thy trueth? 50 Remember, O Lord, the rebuke of thy seruants, which I beare in my bosome of all the mightie people. 51 For thine enemies haue reproched thee, O Lord, because they haue reproched the footesteps of thine Anointed. 52 Praised be the Lord for euermore. So be it, euen so be it.