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¹ A Maskil of Ethan the Ezrahite. I will sing of thy steadfast love, O LORD, for ever; with my mouth I will proclaim thy faithfulness to all generations.² For thy steadfast love was established for ever, thy faithfulness is firm as the heavens.³ Thou hast said, "I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I have sworn to David my servant:⁴ 'I will establish your descendants for ever, and build your throne for all generations.'" [Selah]

⁵ Let the heavens praise thy wonders, O LORD, thy faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones!⁶ For who in the skies can be compared to the LORD? Who among the heavenly beings is like the LORD,⁷ a God feared in the council of the holy ones, great and terrible above all that are round about him?⁸ O LORD God of hosts, who is mighty as thou art, O LORD, with thy faithfulness round about thee?⁹ Thou dost rule the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, thou stillest them.¹⁰ Thou didst crush Rahab like a carcass, thou didst scatter thy enemies with thy mighty arm.¹¹ The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine; the world and all that is in it, thou hast founded them.¹² The north and the south, thou hast created them; Tabor and Hermon joyously praise thy name.¹³ Thou hast a mighty arm; strong is thy hand, high thy right hand.¹⁴ Righteousness and justice are the foundation of thy throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before thee.

¹⁵ Blessed are the people who know the festal shout, who walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance,¹⁶ who exult in thy name all the day, and extol thy righteousness.¹⁷ For thou art the glory of their strength; by thy favor our horn is exalted.¹⁸ For our shield belongs to the LORD, our king to the Holy One of Israel.

¹⁹ Of old thou didst speak in a vision to thy faithful one, and say: "I have set the crown upon one who is mighty, I have exalted one chosen from the people.²⁰ I have found David, my servant; with my holy oil I have anointed him;²¹ so that my hand shall ever abide with him, my arm also shall strengthen him.²² The enemy shall not outwit him, the wicked shall not humble him.²³ I will crush his foes before him and strike down those who hate him.²⁴ My faithfulness and my steadfast love shall be with him, and in my name shall his horn be exalted.²⁵ I will set his hand on the sea and his right hand on the rivers.²⁶ He shall cry to me, 'Thou art my Father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation.'²⁷ And I will make him the first-born, the highest of the kings of the earth.²⁸ My steadfast love I will keep for him for ever, and my covenant will stand firm for him.²⁹ I will establish his line for ever and his throne as the days of the heavens.³⁰ If his children forsake my law and do not walk according to my ordinances,³¹ if they violate my statutes and do not keep my commandments,³² then I will punish their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with scourges;³³ but I will not remove from him my steadfast love, or be false to my faithfulness.³⁴ I will not violate my covenant, or alter the word that went forth from my lips.³⁵ Once for all I have sworn by my holiness; I will not lie to David.³⁶ His line shall endure for ever, his throne as long as the sun before me.³⁷ Like the moon it shall be established for ever; it shall stand firm while the skies endure." [Selah]

³⁸ But now thou hast cast off and rejected, thou art full of wrath against thy anointed.³⁹ Thou hast renounced the covenant with thy servant; thou hast defiled his crown in the dust.⁴⁰ Thou hast breached all his walls; thou hast laid his strongholds in ruins.⁴¹ All that pass by despoil him; he has become the scorn of his neighbors.⁴² Thou hast exalted the right hand of his foes; thou hast made all his enemies rejoice.⁴³ Yea, thou hast turned back the edge of his sword, and thou hast not made him stand in battle.⁴⁴ Thou hast removed the scepter from his hand, and cast his throne to the ground.⁴⁵ Thou hast cut short the days of his youth; thou hast covered him with shame. [Selah]⁴⁶ How long, O LORD? Wilt thou hide thyself for ever? How long will thy wrath burn like fire?⁴⁷ Remember, O Lord, what the measure of life is, for what vanity thou hast created all the sons of men!⁴⁸ What man can live and never see death? Who can deliver his soul from the power of Sheol? [Selah]⁴⁹ Lord, where is thy steadfast love of old, which by thy faithfulness thou didst swear to David?⁵⁰ Remember, O Lord, how thy servant is scorned; how I bear in my bosom the insults of the peoples,⁵¹ with which thy enemies taunt, O LORD, with which they mock the footsteps of thy anointed.⁵² Blessed be the LORD for ever! Amen and Amen.