Book 21 Psalms (continued 1)
Project Gutenberg EPUB3 edition
88:26. And I will set his hand in the sea; and his right hand in the rivers.
88:27. He shall cry out to me: Thou art my father: my God, and the support of my salvation.
88:28. And I will make him my firstborn, high above the kings of the earth.
88:29. I will keep my mercy for him for ever: and my covenant faithful to him.
88:30. And I will make his seed to endure for evermore: and his throne as the days of heaven.
88:31. And if his children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments:
88:32. If they profane my justices: and keep not my commandments:
88:33. I will visit their iniquities with a rod and their sins with stripes.
88:34. But my mercy I will not take away from him: nor will I suffer my truth to fail.
88:35. Neither will I profane my covenant: and the words that proceed from my mouth I will not make void.
88:36. Once have I sworn by my holiness: I will not lie unto David:
88:37. His seed shall endure for ever.
88:38. And his throne as the sun before me: and as the moon perfect for ever, and a faithful witness in heaven.
88:39. But thou hast rejected and despised: thou hast been angry with my anointed.
88:40. Thou hast overthrown the covenant of thy servant: thou hast profaned his sanctuary on the earth.
Overthrown the covenant, etc... All this seems to relate to the time of the captivity of Babylon, in which, for the sins of the people and their princes, God seemed to have set aside for a while the covenant he made with David.
88:41. Thou hast broken down all his hedges: thou hast made his strength fear.
88:42. All that pass by the way have robbed him: he is become a reproach to his neighbours.
88:43. Thou hast set up the right hand of them that oppress him: thou hast made all his enemies to rejoice.
88:44. Thou hast turned away the help of his sword; and hast not assisted him in battle.
88:45. Thou hast made his purification to cease: and thou hast cast his throne down to the ground.
88:46. Thou hast shortened the days of his time: thou hast covered him with confusion.
88:47. How long, O Lord, turnest thou away unto the end? shall thy anger burn like fire?
88:48. Remember what my substance is: for hast thou made all the children of men in vain?
88:49. Who is the man that shall live, and not see death: that shall deliver his soul from the hand of hell?
88:50. Lord, where are thy ancient mercies, according to what thou didst swear to David in thy truth?
88:51. Be mindful, O Lord, of the reproach of thy servants (which I have held in my bosom) of many nations:
88:52. Wherewith thy enemies have reproached, O Lord; wherewith they have reproached the change of thy anointed.
88:53. Blessed be the Lord for evermore. So be it. So be it.
Psalms Chapter 89
Domine, refugium.
A prayer for the mercy of God: recounting the shortness and miseries of the days of man.
89:1. A prayer of Moses the man of God. Lord, thou hast been our refuge from generation to generation.
89:2. Before the mountains were made, or the earth and the world was formed; from eternity and to eternity thou art God.
89:3. Turn not man away to be brought low: and thou hast said: Be converted, O ye sons of men.
Turn not man away, etc... Suffer him not quite to perish from thee, since thou art pleased to call upon him to be converted to thee.
89:4. For a thousand years in thy sight are as yesterday, which is past. And as a watch in the night,
89:5. Things that are counted nothing, shall their years be.
89:6. In the morning man shall grow up like grass; in the morning he shall flourish and pass away: in the evening he shall fall, grow dry, and wither.
89:7. For in thy wrath we have fainted away: and are troubled in thy indignation.