Psalms 88

¹Of understanding to Ethan the Ezrahite.

²The mercies of our Lord I will sing for ever. In generation and generation I will shew forth thy truth in my mouth.

³Because thou saidst: Mercy shall be built up for ever in the heavens: thy truth shall be prepared in them.

⁴I have ordained a testament with mine elect, I have sworn to David my servant:

⁵for ever will I prepare thy seed. And I will build thy seat unto generation and generation.

⁶The heavens shall confess thy marvelous works o Lord: yea and thy truth in the Church of Saints.

⁷For who in the clouds shall be equal to our Lord: shall be like to God among the sons of God?

⁸God who is glorified in the counsel of Saints, great and terrible over all that are round about him.

⁹O Lord God of hosts, who is like to thee? Thou art mighty, o Lord, and thy truth round about thee.

¹⁰Thou rulest over the power of the sea: and the moving of the waves thereof thou doest mitigate.

¹¹Thou humbledst the proud one, as one wounded: in the arm of thy strength thou hast dispersed thine enemies.

¹²The heavens are thine, and the earth is thine, the round earth, and the fullness thereof thou hast founded:

¹³the north and the sea thou hast created. Thabor and Hermon shall rejoice in thy name:

¹⁴thy arm is with might. Let thy hand be confirmed, and thy right hand exalted:

¹⁵justice and judgment is the preparation of thy seat. Mercy and truth shall go before thy face:

¹⁶blessed is the people that knoweth jubilation. Lord they shall walk in the light of thy countenance,

¹⁷and in thy name they shall rejoice all the day: and in thy justice they shall be exalted.

¹⁸Because thou art the glory of their strength: and in thy good pleasure shall our horn be exalted.

¹⁹Because our protection is of our Lord: and of the holy one of Israel our King.

²⁰Then didst thou speak in vision to thy Saints, and saidst: I have put help on the mighty one: & have exalted an elect one of my people.

²¹I have found David my servant: with mine holy oil have I anointed him.

²²For mine hand shall help him: and mine arm shall strengthen him.

²³The enemy shall nothing prevail in him: and the son of iniquity shall not add to hurt him.

²⁴And I will cut down his enemies before his face: and them that hate him I will put to flight.

²⁵And my truth, and my mercy with him: and in my name shall his horn be exalted.

²⁶And I will put his hand in the sea: and his right hand in the rivers.

²⁷He shall invocate me: Thou art my Father: my God, and the protector of my Salvation.

²⁸And I will put him the first-begotten, high above the kings of the earth.

²⁹I will keep my mercy unto him for ever: and my testament faithful to him.

³⁰I will put his seed for ever and ever: and his throne as the days of heaven.

³¹But if his children shall forsake my law: and will not walk in my judgments.

³²If they shall profane my justices: and not keep my commandments:

³³I will visit their iniquities with a rod: and their sins with stripes.

³⁴But my mercy I will not take away from him: neither will I hurt in my truth.

³⁵Neither will I profane my testament: and the words that proceed from my mouth I will not make frustrate.

³⁶Once I have sworn in my holy, if I lie to David:

³⁷his seed shall continue for ever.

³⁸And his throne as the Sun in my sight, and as the Moon perfect for ever: and a faithful witness in heaven.

³⁹But thou hast repelled and despised: thou hast deferred thy Christ.

⁴⁰Thou hast overthrown the testament of thy servant: thou hast profaned his sanctuary on the earth.

⁴¹Thou hast destroyed all the hedges thereof: thou hast made the firmament thereof fear.

⁴²All that pass by the way have spoiled him: he is become a reproach to his neighbours.

⁴³Thou hast exalted the right hand of them that oppress him: thou hast made all his enemies joyful.

⁴⁴Thou hast turned away the help of his sword: and hast not holpen him in battle.

⁴⁵Thou hast destroyed him from emundation: and his seat thou hast broken down to the ground.

⁴⁶Thou hast lessened the days of his time: thou hast overwhelmed him with confusion.

⁴⁷How long, o Lord, doest thou turn away for ever: shall thy wrath burn as a fire?

⁴⁸Remember what my substance is: for hast thou made all the children of men in vain?

⁴⁹Who is the man that shall live, and shall not see death: shall deliver his soul from the hand of hell?

⁵⁰Where are thine old mercies, o Lord, as thou swarest to David in thy truth?

⁵¹Be mindful, o Lord, of the reproach of thy servants (which I have held in my bosom) of many nations.

⁵²Which thine enemies have reproached, o Lord, which they have reproached the commutation of thy Christ.

⁵³Blessed be our Lord for ever: Be it, be it.