A Hymn in Time of National TroublePs 89 Hebrew title: A poem by Ethan the Ezrahite.89 Title: 1 Kgs 4.31

1O LORD, I will always sing of your constant love;

I will proclaim your faithfulness for ever.

2I know that your love will last for all time,

that your faithfulness is as permanent as the sky.

3You said, “I have made a covenant with the man I chose;

I have promised my servant David,

489.4: 2 Sam 7.12–16; 1 Chr 17.11–14; Ps 132.11; Acts 2.30‘A descendant of yours will always be king;

I will preserve your dynasty for ever.’ ”

5The heavens sing of the wonderful things you do;

the holy ones sing of your faithfulness, LORD.

6No one in heaven is like you, LORD;

none of the heavenly beings is your equal.

7You are feared in the council of the holy ones;

and all of them stand in awe of you.

8LORD God Almighty, none is as mighty as you;

in all things you are faithful, O LORD.

9You rule over the powerful sea;

you calm its angry waves.

10You crushed the monster Rahab89.10 Rahab: A legendary sea monster which represented the forces of chaos and evil. and killed it;

with your mighty strength you defeated your enemies.

11Heaven is yours, the earth also;

you made the world and everything in it.

12You created the north and the south;

Mount Tabor and Mount Hermon sing to you for joy.

13How powerful you are!

How great is your strength!

14Your kingdom is founded on righteousness and justice;

love and faithfulness are shown in all you do.

15How happy are the people who worship you with songs,

who live in the light of your kindness!

16Because of you they rejoice all day long,

and they praise you for your goodness.

17You give us great victories;

in your love you make us triumphant.

18You, O LORD, chose our protector;

you, the Holy God of Israel, gave us our king.

God's Promise to David

19In a vision long ago you said to your faithful servants,

“I have given help to a famous soldier;

I have given the throne to one I chose from the people.

2089.20: 1 Sam 13.14; Acts 13.22; 1 Sam 16.12I have made my servant David king

by anointing him with holy oil.

21My strength will always be with him,

my power will make him strong.

22His enemies will never succeed against him;

the wicked will not defeat him.

23I will crush his foes

and kill everyone who hates him.

24I will love him and be loyal to him;

I will make him always victorious.

25I will extend his kingdom

from the Mediterranean to the River Euphrates.

26He will say to me,

‘You are my father and my God;

you are my protector and saviour.’

2789.27: Rev 1.5I will make him my firstborn son,

the greatest of all kings.

28I will always keep my promise to him,

and my covenant with him will last for ever.

29His dynasty will be as permanent as the sky;

a descendant of his will always be king.

30“But if his descendants disobey my law

and do not live according to my commands,

31if they disregard my instructions

and do not keep my commandments,

32then I will punish them for their sins;

I will make them suffer for their wrongs.

33But I will not stop loving David

or fail to keep my promise to him.

34I will not break my covenant with him

or take back even one promise I made him.

35“Once and for all I have promised by my holy name:

I will never lie to David.

36He will always have descendants,

and I will watch over his kingdom as long as the sun shines.

37It will be as permanent as the moon,

that faithful witness in the sky.”

Lament over the Defeat of the King

38But you are angry with your chosen king;

you have deserted and rejected him.

39You have broken your covenant with your servant

and thrown his crown in the mud.

40You have torn down the walls of his city

and left his forts in ruins.

41All who pass by steal his belongings;

all his neighbours laugh at him.

42You have given the victory to his enemies;

you have made them all happy.

43You have made his weapons useless

and let him be defeated in battle.

44You have taken away his royal sceptre89.44 Probable text royal sceptre; Hebrew purity.

and hurled his throne to the ground.

45You have made him old before his time

and covered him with disgrace.

A Prayer for Deliverance

46LORD, will you hide yourself for ever?

How long will your anger burn like fire?

47Remember how short my life is;

remember that you created all of us mortal!

48Who can live and never die?

How can human beings keep themselves from the grave?

49Lord, where are the former proofs of your love?

Where are the promises you made to David?

50Don't forget how I, your servant, am insulted,

how I endure all the curses89.50 Probable text curses; Hebrew crowds. of the heathen.

51Your enemies insult your chosen king, O LORD!

They insult him wherever he goes.

52Praise the LORD for ever!

Amen! Amen!