1 I will sing of the loving kindness of Yahweh forever.

With my mouth, I will make known your faithfulness to all generations.

2 I indeed declare, "Love stands firm forever.

You established the heavens.

Your faithfulness is in them."

3 "I have made a covenant with my chosen one,

I have sworn to David, my servant,

4 ‘I will establish your offspring forever,

and build up your throne to all generations.’" Selah.

5 The heavens will praise your wonders, Yahweh,

your faithfulness also in the assembly of the holy ones.

6 For who in the skies can be compared to Yahweh?

Who among the sons of the heavenly beings is like Yahweh,

7 a very awesome God in the council of the holy ones,

to be feared above all those who are around him?

8 Yahweh, God of Armies, who is a mighty one, like you?

Yah, your faithfulness is around you.

9 You rule the pride of the sea.

When its waves rise up, you calm them.

10 You have broken Rahab in pieces, like one of the slain.

You have scattered your enemies with your mighty arm.

11 The heavens are yours.

The earth also is yours,

the world and its fullness.

You have founded them.

12 You have created the north and the south.

Tabor and Hermon rejoice in your name.

13 You have a mighty arm.

Your hand is strong, and your right hand is exalted.

14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne.

Loving kindness and truth go before your face.

15 Blessed are the people who learn to acclaim you.

They walk in the light of your presence, Yahweh.

16 In your name they rejoice all day.

In your righteousness, they are exalted.

17 For you are the glory of their strength.

In your favor, our horn will be exalted.

18 For our shield belongs to Yahweh,

our king to the Holy One of Israel.

19 Then you spoke in vision to your saints,

and said, "I have given strength to the warrior.

I have exalted a young man from the people.

20 I have found David, my servant.

I have anointed him with my holy oil,

21 with whom my hand shall be established.

My arm will also strengthen him.

22 No enemy will tax him.

No wicked man will oppress him.

23 I will beat down his adversaries before him,

and strike those who hate him.

24 But my faithfulness and my loving kindness will be with him.

In my name, his horn will be exalted.

25 I will set his hand also on the sea,

and his right hand on the rivers.

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

my God, and the rock of my salvation!’

27 I will also appoint him my firstborn,

the highest of the kings of the earth.

28 I will keep my loving kindness for him forever more.

My covenant will stand firm with him.

29 I will also make his offspring endure forever,

and his throne as the days of heaven.

30 If his children forsake my law,

and don’t walk in my ordinances;

31 if they break my statutes,

and don’t keep my commandments;

32 then I will punish their sin with the rod,

and their iniquity with stripes.

33 But I will not completely take my loving kindness from him,

nor allow my faithfulness to fail.

34 I will not break my covenant,

nor alter what my lips have uttered.

35 Once I have sworn by my holiness,

I will not lie to David.

36 His offspring will endure forever,

his throne like the sun before me.

37 It will be established forever like the moon,

the faithful witness in the sky." Selah.

38 But you have rejected and spurned.

You have been angry with your anointed.

39 You have renounced the covenant of your servant.

You have defiled his crown in the dust.

40 You have broken down all his hedges.

You have brought his strongholds to ruin.

41 All who pass by the way rob him.

He has become a reproach to his neighbors.

42 You have exalted the right hand of his adversaries.

You have made all of his enemies rejoice.

43 Yes, you turn back the edge of his sword,

and haven’t supported him in battle.

44 You have ended his splendor,

and thrown his throne down to the ground.

45 You have shortened the days of his youth.

You have covered him with shame. Selah.

46 How long, Yahweh?

Will you hide yourself forever?

Will your wrath burn like fire?

47 Remember how short my time is,

for what vanity you have created all the children of men!

48 What man is he who shall live and not see death,

who shall deliver his soul from the power of Sheol? Selah.

49 Lord, where are your former loving kindnesses,

which you swore to David in your faithfulness?

50 Remember, Lord, the reproach of your servants,

how I bear in my heart the taunts of all the mighty peoples,

51 With which your enemies have mocked, Yahweh,

with which they have mocked the footsteps of your anointed one.

52 Blessed be Yahweh forever more.

Amen, and Amen.

1 Maschil of Ethan the Ezrahite. I will sing of the mercies of the LORD for ever; with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.

2 For I have said, Mercy shall be built up for ever in the heavens; in them thou shalt establish thy truth.

3 I have made a covenant with my chosen; I have sworn unto David my servant, [saying],

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

5 And the heavens shall praise thy wonder, O LORD, thy truth also in the congregation of the saints.

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

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

8 O LORD God of the hosts, who [is] like unto thee? Strong JAH, compassed about with thy truth.

9 Thou dost rule the raging of the sea: when its waves arise, thou dost still them.

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

11 The heavens [are] thine, the earth also [is] thine: the world and its fullness, thou didst found.

12 Thou hast created the north and the south; Tabor and Hermon shall sing in thy name.

13 The mighty arm is thine; strong is thy hand, [and] high is thy right hand.

14 Thy throne is composed of righteousness and judgment; mercy and truth go before thy face.

15 Happy [are] the people that know [how to] enter into joy; they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance.

16 In thy name shall they rejoice each day; and in thy righteousness shall they be exalted.

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

18 For the LORD [is] our shield, and the Holy One of Israel [is] our king.

19 Then thou didst speak in vision to thy holy one and didst say, I have laid help upon [one that is] mighty; I have exalted [one] chosen out of my people.

20 I have found David my servant; I anointed him with the oil of my holiness,

21 with whom my hand shall be established; mine arm also shall strengthen him.

22 The enemy shall not overcome him, nor the son of iniquity break him down.

23 But I will break down his foes before his face and smite those that hate him.

24 But my truth and my mercy [shall be] with him, and in my name shall his horn be exalted.

25 In the same manner I will set his hand also in the sea and his right hand in the rivers.

26 He shall call me, Thou [art] my father, my God, and the rock of my saving health.

27 Also I will make him [my] firstborn, high above the kings of the earth.

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

29 I will also make his seed [to endure] for ever, and his throne as the days of the heavens.

30 If his sons forsake my law and do not walk in my judgments,

31 if they profane my statutes and do not keep my commandments,

32 then I will visit their rebellion with the rod and their iniquity with stripes.

33 Nevertheless I will not take my mercy from him, neither will I falsify my truth.

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

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

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

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

38 But thou hast cast off and abhorred thine anointed; thou hast been wroth with [him].

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

47 Remember how short my time is; why hast thou made all men [subject] to vanity?

48 What man [is he that] lives and shall not see death? shall he deliver his soul from the hand of Sheol? Selah.

49 Lord, where [are] thy former mercies, [which] thou didst sware unto David in thy truth?

50 Remember, Lord, the reproach of thy servants; [how] I do bear in my bosom [the reproach of] many peoples,

51 because thine enemies have dishonoured, O LORD; they have dishonoured the footsteps of thine anointed.

52 Blessed [be] the LORD for ever. Amen and Amen. Part Four: