1 A n instruction, by Ethan the Ezrahite. Of the kind acts of Jehovah, to the age I sing, To all generations I make known Thy faithfulness with my mouth,

I will sing of the loving-kindness of Jehovah for ever; with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness from generation to generation.

2 F or I said, `To the age is kindness built, The heavens! Thou dost establish Thy faithfulness in them.'

For I said, Loving-kindness shall be built up for ever; in the very heavens wilt thou establish thy faithfulness.

3 I have made a covenant for My chosen, I have sworn to David My servant:

I have made a covenant with mine elect, I have sworn unto David my servant:

4 ` Even to the age do I establish thy seed, And have built to generation and generation thy throne. Selah.

Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne from generation to generation. Selah.

5 a nd the heavens confess Thy wonders, O Jehovah, Thy faithfulness also in an assembly of holy ones.

And the heavens shall celebrate thy wonders, O Jehovah, and thy faithfulness in the congregation of the saints.

6 F or who in the sky, Compareth himself to Jehovah? Is like to Jehovah among sons of the mighty?

For who in the heaven can be compared to Jehovah? among the sons of the mighty shall be likened to Jehovah?

7 G od is very terrible, In the secret counsel of His holy ones, And fearful over all surrounding Him.

God is greatly to be feared in the council of the saints, and terrible for all that are round about him.

8 O Jehovah, God of Hosts, Who like Thee -- a strong Jah? And Thy faithfulness round about Thee.

Jehovah, God of hosts, who is like unto thee, the strong Jah? And thy faithfulness is round about thee.

9 T hou ruler over the pride of the sea, In the lifting up of its billows Thou dost restrain them.

Thou rulest the pride of the sea: when its waves arise, thou stillest them.

10 T hou hast bruised Rahab, as one wounded. With the arm of Thy strength Thou hast scattered Thine enemies.

Thou hast crushed Rahab as one that is slain; thou hast scattered thine enemies with the arm of thy strength.

11 T hine the heavens -- the earth also Thine, The habitable world and its fulness, Thou hast founded them.

Thine are the heavens, the earth also is thine; the world and its fulness, thou hast founded them.

12 N orth and south Thou hast appointed them, Tabor and Hermon in Thy name do sing.

The north and the south, thou hast created them: Tabor and Hermon triumph in thy name.

13 T hou hast an arm with might, Strong is Thy hand -- high Thy right hand.

Thine is the arm of might: strong is thy hand, high is thy right hand.

14 R ighteousness and judgment the fixed place of Thy throne, Kindness and truth go before Thy face.

Righteousness and judgment are the foundation of thy throne; loving-kindness and truth go before thy face.

15 O the happiness of the people knowing the shout, O Jehovah, in the light of Thy face they walk habitually.

Blessed is the people that know the shout of joy: they walk, O Jehovah, in the light of thy countenance.

16 I n Thy name they rejoice all the day, And in Thy righteousness they are exalted,

In thy name are they joyful all the day, and in thy righteousness are they exalted.

17 F or the beauty of their strength Thou, And in Thy good will is our horn exalted,

For thou art the glory of their strength; and in thy favour our horn shall be exalted.

18 F or of Jehovah our shield, And of the Holy One of Israel our king.

For Jehovah is our shield, and the Holy One of Israel, our king.

19 T hen Thou hast spoken in vision, To Thy saint, yea, Thou sayest, I have placed help upon a mighty one, Exalted a chosen one out of the people,

Then thou spakest in vision of thy Holy One, and saidst, I have laid help upon a mighty one; I have exalted one chosen out of the people.

20 I have found David My servant, With My holy oil I have anointed him.

I have found David my servant; with my holy oil have I anointed him:

21 W ith whom My hand is established, My arm also doth strengthen him.

With whom my hand shall be established; and mine arm shall strengthen him.

22 A n enemy exacteth not upon him, And a son of perverseness afflicteth him not.

No enemy shall exact upon him, nor the son of wickedness afflict him;

23 A nd I have beaten down before him his adversaries, And those hating him I plague,

But I will beat down his adversaries before his face, and will smite them that hate him.

24 A nd My faithfulness and kindness with him, And in My name is his horn exalted.

And my faithfulness and my loving-kindness shall be with him, and by my name shall his horn be exalted.

25 A nd I have set on the sea his hand, And on the rivers his right hand.

And I will set his hand in the sea, and his right hand in the rivers.

26 H e proclaimeth me: `Thou my Father, My God, and the rock of my salvation.'

He shall call unto me, Thou art my father, my God, and the rock of my salvation;

27 I also first-born do appoint him, Highest of the kings of the earth.

And as to me, I will make him firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth.

28 T o the age I keep for him My kindness, And My covenant stedfast with him.

My loving-kindness will I keep for him for evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him;

29 A nd I have set his seed for ever, And his throne as the days of the heavens.

And I will establish his seed for ever, and his throne as the days of heaven.

30 I f his sons forsake My law, And in My judgments do not walk;

If his sons forsake my law, and walk not in mine ordinances;

31 I f My statutes they pollute, And My commands do not keep,

If they profane my statutes, and keep not my commandments:

32 I have looked after with a rod their transgression, And with strokes their iniquity,

Then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes.

33 A nd My kindness I break not from him, Nor do I deal falsely in My faithfulness.

Nevertheless my loving-kindness will I not utterly take from him, nor belie my faithfulness;

34 I profane not My covenant, And that which is going forth from My lips I change not.

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

35 O nce I have sworn by My holiness, I lie not to David,

Once have I sworn by my holiness; I will not lie unto David:

36 H is seed is to the age, And his throne as the sun before Me,

His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me;

37 A s the moon it is established -- to the age, And the witness in the sky is stedfast. Selah.

It shall be established for ever as the moon, and the witness in the sky is firm. Selah.

38 A nd Thou, Thou hast cast off, and dost reject, Thou hast shown Thyself wroth With Thine anointed,

But thou hast rejected and cast off; thou hast been very wroth with thine anointed:

39 H ast rejected the covenant of Thy servant, Thou hast polluted to the earth his crown,

Thou hast made void the covenant of thy servant; thou hast profaned his crown to the ground:

40 T hou hast broken down all his hedges, Thou hast made his fenced places a ruin.

Thou hast broken down all his hedges; thou hast brought his strongholds to ruin.

41 S poiled him have all passing by the way, He hath been a reproach to his neighbours,

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

42 T hou hast exalted the right hand of his adversaries, Thou hast caused all his enemies to rejoice.

Thou hast exalted the right hand of his oppressors; thou hast made all his enemies to rejoice:

43 A lso -- Thou turnest back the sharpness of his sword, And hast not established him in battle,

Yea, thou hast turned back the edge of his sword, and hast not made him stand in the battle.

44 H ast caused to cease from his brightness, And his throne to the earth hast cast down.

Thou hast made his brightness to cease, and cast his throne down to the ground;

45 T hou hast shortened the days of his youth, Hast covered him over shame. Selah.

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

46 T ill when, O Jehovah, art Thou hidden? For ever doth Thy fury burn as fire?

How long, Jehovah, wilt thou hide thyself for ever? shall thy fury burn like fire?

47 R emember, I pray Thee, what life-time? Wherefore in vain hast Thou created All the sons of men?

Remember, as regards me, what life is. Wherefore hast thou created all the children of men to be vanity?

48 W ho the man that liveth, and doth not see death? He delivereth his soul from the hand of Sheol. Selah.

What man liveth, and shall not see death? Shall he deliver his soul from the power of Sheol? Selah.

49 W here Thy former kindnesses, O Lord. Thou hast sworn to David in Thy faithfulness,

Where, Lord, are thy former loving-kindnesses, thou swarest unto David in thy faithfulness?

50 R emember, O Lord, the reproach of Thy servants, I have borne in my bosom all the strivings of the peoples,

Remember, Lord, the reproach of thy servants—that I bear in my bosom all the mighty peoples—

51 W herewith Thine enemies reproached, O Jehovah, Wherewith they have reproached The steps of Thine anointed.

Wherewith thine enemies, O Jehovah, have reproached, wherewith they have reproached the footsteps of thine anointed.

52 B lessed Jehovah to the age. Amen, and amen!

Blessed be Jehovah for evermore! Amen, and Amen.