Psalm 89:30–52

³⁰But if his descendants forsake my instructions

and fail to obey my regulations,

³¹if they do not obey my decrees

and fail to keep my commands,

³²then I will punish their sin with the rod,

and their disobedience with beating.

³³But I will never stop loving him

nor fail to keep my promise to him.

³⁴No, I will not break my covenant;

I will not take back a single word I said.

³⁵I have sworn an oath to David,

and in my holiness I cannot lie:

³⁶His dynasty will go on forever;

his kingdom will endure as the sun.

³⁷It will be as eternal as the moon,

my faithful witness in the sky!”

Interlude

³⁸But now you have rejected him and cast him off.

You are angry with your anointed king.

³⁹You have renounced your covenant with him;

you have thrown his crown in the dust.

⁴⁰You have broken down the walls protecting him

and ruined every fort defending him.

⁴¹Everyone who comes along has robbed him,

and he has become a joke to his neighbors.

⁴²You have strengthened his enemies

and made them all rejoice.

⁴³You have made his sword useless

and refused to help him in battle.

⁴⁴You have ended his splendor

and overturned his throne.

⁴⁵You have made him old before his time

and publicly disgraced him.

Interlude

⁴⁶O Lord, how long will this go on?

Will you hide yourself forever?

How long will your anger burn like fire?

⁴⁷Remember how short my life is,

how empty and futile this human existence!

⁴⁸No one can live forever; all will die.

No one can escape the power of the grave.

Interlude

⁴⁹Lord, where is your unfailing love?

You promised it to David with a faithful pledge.

⁵⁰Consider, Lord, how your servants are disgraced!

I carry in my heart the insults of so many people.

⁵¹Your enemies have mocked me, O Lord;

they mock your anointed king wherever he goes.

⁵²Praise the Lord forever!

Amen and amen!