Psalm 87:1–89:37

1 He has founded his city on the holy mountain.p

2 The Lord loves the gates of Zionq

more than all the other dwellings of Jacob.

3 Glorious things are said of you,

city of God:a r

4 “I will record Rahabb s and Babylon

among those who acknowledge me—

Philistiat too, and Tyreu, along with Cushc—

and will say, ‘This one was born in Zion.’ ”d v

5 Indeed, of Zion it will be said,

“This one and that one were born in her,

and the Most High himself will establish her.”

6 The Lord will write in the registerw of the peoples:

“This one was born in Zion.”

7 As they make musicx they will sing,

“All my fountainsy are in you.”

Psalm 88a

A song. A psalm of the Sons of Korah. For the director of music. According to mahalath leannoth.b A maskilc of Heman the Ezrahite.

1 Lord, you are the God who saves me;z

day and night I cry outa to you.

2 May my prayer come before you;

turn your ear to my cry.

3 I am overwhelmed with troublesb

and my life draws near to death.c

4 I am counted among those who go down to the pit;d

I am like one without strength.e

5 I am set apart with the dead,

like the slain who lie in the grave,

whom you remember no more,

who are cut offf from your care.

6 You have put me in the lowest pit,

in the darkest depths.g

7 Your wrathh lies heavily on me;

you have overwhelmed me with all your waves.d i

8 You have taken from me my closest friendsj

and have made me repulsive to them.

I am confinedk and cannot escape;l

9 my eyesm are dim with grief.

I calln to you, Lord, every day;

I spread out my handso to you.

10 Do you show your wonders to the dead?

Do their spirits rise up and praise you?p

11 Is your love declared in the grave,

your faithfulnessq in Destructione?

12 Are your wonders known in the place of darkness,

or your righteous deeds in the land of oblivion?

13 But I cry to you for help,r Lord;

in the mornings my prayer comes before you.t

14 Why, Lord, do you rejectu me

and hide your facev from me?

15 From my youthw I have sufferedx and been close to death;

I have borne your terrorsy and am in despair.z

16 Your wratha has swept over me;

your terrorsb have destroyed me.

17 All day long they surround me like a flood;c

they have completely engulfed me.

18 You have taken from me friendd and neighbor—

darkness is my closest friend.

Psalm 89a

A maskilb of Ethan the Ezrahite.

1 I will singe of the Lord’s great love forever;

with my mouth I will make your faithfulness knownf

through all generations.

2 I will declare that your love stands firm forever,

that you have established your faithfulness in heaven itself.g

3 You said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one,

I have sworn to David my servant,

4 ‘I will establish your line forever

and make your throne firm through all generations.’ ”c h

5 The heavensi praise your wonders, Lord,

your faithfulness too, in the assemblyj of the holy ones.

6 For who in the skies above can compare with the Lord?

Who is like the Lord among the heavenly beings?k

7 In the councill of the holy onesm God is greatly feared;

he is more awesome than all who surround him.n

8 Who is like you,o Lord God Almighty?p

You, Lord, are mighty, and your faithfulness surrounds you.

9 You rule over the surging sea;

when its waves mount up, you still them.q

10 You crushed Rahabr like one of the slain;

with your strong arm you scattereds your enemies.

11 The heavens are yours,t and yours also the earth;u

you founded the world and all that is in it.v

12 You created the north and the south;

Taborw and Hermonx sing for joyy at your name.

13 Your arm is endowed with power;

your hand is strong, your right hand exalted.z

14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;a

love and faithfulness go before you.b

15 Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you,

who walkc in the lightd of your presence, Lord.

16 They rejoice in your namee all day long;

they celebrate your righteousness.

17 For you are their glory and strength,f

and by your favor you exalt our horn.d g

18 Indeed, our shielde h belongs to the Lord,

our kingi to the Holy One of Israel.

19 Once you spoke in a vision,

to your faithful people you said:

“I have bestowed strength on a warrior;

I have raised up a young man from among the people.

20 I have found Davidj my servant;k

with my sacred oill I have anointedm him.

21 My hand will sustain him;

surely my arm will strengthen him.n

22 The enemy will not get the better of him;o

the wicked will not oppressp him.

23 I will crush his foes before himq

and strike down his adversaries.r

24 My faithful love will be with him,s

and through my name his hornf will be exalted.

25 I will set his hand over the sea,

his right hand over the rivers.t

26 He will call out to me, ‘You are my Father,u

my God, the Rockv my Savior.’w

27 And I will appoint him to be my firstborn,x

the most exaltedy of the kingsz of the earth.

28 I will maintain my love to him forever,

and my covenant with him will never fail.a

29 I will establish his line forever,

his throne as long as the heavens endure.b

30 “If his sons forsake my law

and do not follow my statutes,

31 if they violate my decrees

and fail to keep my commands,

32 I will punish their sin with the rod,

their iniquity with flogging;c

33 but I will not take my love from him,d

nor will I ever betray my faithfulness.

34 I will not violate my covenant

or alter what my lips have uttered.e

35 Once for all, I have sworn by my holiness—

and I will not lie to David—

36 that his line will continue forever

and his throne endure before me like the sun;f

37 it will be established forever like the moon,

the faithful witness in the sky.”g