Psalms 89:1-52

I will always sing about the LORD’s love; I will tell of his loyalty from now on. I will say, “Your love continues forever; your loyalty goes on and on like the sky.” You said, “I made an agreement with the man of my choice; I made a promise to my servant David. I told him, ‘I will make your family continue forever. Your kingdom will go on and on.’ ”Selah LORD, the heavens praise you for your miracles and for your loyalty in the meeting of your holy ones. Who in heaven is equal to the LORD? None of the angels is like the LORD. When the holy ones meet, it is God they fear. He is more frightening than all who surround him. LORD God All-Powerful, who is like you? LORD, you are powerful and completely trustworthy. You rule the mighty sea and calm the stormy waves. You crushed the sea monster Rahab; by your power you scattered your enemies. The skies and the earth belong to you. You made the world and everything in it. You created the north and the south. Mount Tabor and Mount Hermon sing for joy at your name. Your arm has great power. Your hand is strong; your right hand is lifted up. Your kingdom is built on what is right and fair. Love and truth are in all you do. Happy are the people who know how to praise you. LORD, let them live in the light of your presence. In your name they rejoice and continually praise your goodness. You are their glorious strength, and in your kindness you honor our king. Our king, our shield, belongs to the LORD, to the Holy One of Israel. Once, in a vision, you spoke to those who worship you. You said, “I have given strength to a warrior; I have raised up a young man from my people. I have found my servant David; I appointed him by pouring holy oil on him. I will steady him with my hand and strengthen him with my arm. No enemy will make him give forced payments, and wicked people will not defeat him. I will crush his enemies in front of him; I will defeat those who hate him. My loyalty and love will be with him. Through me he will be strong. I will give him power over the sea and control over the rivers. He will say to me, ‘You are my father, my God, the Rock, my Savior.’ I will make him my firstborn son, the greatest king on earth. My love will watch over him forever, and my agreement with him will never end. I will make his family continue, and his kingdom will last as long as the skies. “If his descendants reject my teachings and do not follow my laws, if they ignore my demands and disobey my commands, then I will punish their sins with a rod and their wrongs with a whip. But I will not hold back my love from David, nor will I stop being loyal. I will not break my agreement nor change what I have said. I have promised by my holiness, I will not lie to David. His family will go on forever. His kingdom will last before me like the sun. It will continue forever, like the moon, like a dependable witness in the sky.”Selah But now you have refused and rejected your appointed king. You have been angry with him. You have abandoned the agreement with your servant and thrown his crown to the ground. You have torn down all his city walls; you have turned his strong cities into ruins. Everyone who passes by steals from him. His neighbors insult him. You have given strength to his enemies and have made them all happy. You have made his sword useless; you did not help him stand in battle. You have kept him from winning and have thrown his throne to the ground. You have cut his life short and covered him with shame.Selah LORD, how long will this go on? Will you ignore us forever? How long will your anger burn like a fire? Remember how short my life is. Why did you create us? For nothing? What person alive will not die? Who can escape the grave?Selah Lord, where is your love from times past, which in your loyalty you promised to David? Lord, remember how they insulted your servant; remember how I have suffered the insults of the nations. LORD, remember how your enemies insulted you and how they insulted your appointed king wherever he went. Praise the LORD forever! Amen and amen.