Poem of Ethan the Ezrahite.

1I will sing of the mercies of the LORD forever; with my mouth I will make known Your faithfulness to all generations,

2For I have said, "Your steadfast love shall be built up forever; You shall establish Your faithfulness in the heavens."

3"I have made a covenant with My chosen; I have sworn to David My servant,

4'Your seed will I establish forever, and build up your throne to all generations. ' " Selah.

5And the heavens shall praise Your wonders, O LORD, Your faithfulness also in the congregation of the saints,

6For who in the heavens can be compared with the LORD? Who among the sons of the mighty is like the LORD?

7God is greatly to be feared in the congregation of the saints and to be held in reverence by all who are round about Him.

8O LORD God of hosts, who is mighty like you O LORD? And Your faithfulness is round about You.

9You rule the raging of the sea; when its waves arise, You still them.

10You have broken Rahab in pieces as one that is slain; You have scattered Your enemies with Your strong arm.

11The heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours; You have founded the world and all its fullness.

12The north and the south, You have created them; Tabor and Hermon shall rejoice in Your name.

13Your arm is an arm of might; Your hand is strong, and Your right hand is exalted.

14Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; mercy and truth shall go before Your face.

15Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound; they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of Your countenance.

16In Your name they shall rejoice all the day; and in Your righteousness they shall be exalted,

17For You are the glory of their strength; and in Your favor our horn is exalted,

18For the LORD is our shield; yea, our King is the Holy One of Israel.

19Then You spoke in a vision to Your godly ones, and You said, "I have laid help upon a mighty one; I have exalted a chosen one out of the people.

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

21My hand shall be established with him; My arm also shall strengthen him.

22The enemy shall not extract from him, nor the son of wickedness afflict him.

23And I will beat down his foes before his face and plague those who hate him.

24But My faithfulness and My mercy shall be with him; and in My name his horn shall be exalted.

25I will set his hand also in the sea and his right hand in the rivers.

26He shall cry to Me, 'My Father, You are my God, and the Rock of my salvation. '

27And I will make him My firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth.

28I will keep My steadfast love for him forever, and My covenant shall stand fast with him.

29Also, will I make his seed to endure forever, and his throne as the days of heaven.

30If his children forsake My law and do not walk in My judgments,

31If they profane My statutes and do not keep My commandments,

32Then I will visit their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes.

33But I will not completely take My lovingkindness from him, nor will I allow My faithfulness to fail.

34I will not break My covenant, nor change the thing that has gone out of My lips.

35Once I have sworn by My holiness, I will not lie to David.

36His seed shall endure forever, and his throne as the sun before Me.

37It shall be established forever like the moon, and like a faithful witness in the heavens." Selah.

38But You have cast off and rejected us; You have been full of wrath against Your anointed.

39You have turned away from the covenant of Your servant; You have defiled his crown by casting it to the ground.

40You have broken down all his hedges; You have brought his strongholds to ruin.

41All who pass by the way plunder him; he is a curse to his neighbors.

42You have set up the right hand of his enemies; You have made all his enemies rejoice.

43You also have turned back the edge of his sword and have not made him stand in the battle.

44You have made his glory to cease and have thrown his throne down to the ground.

45The days of his youth You have shortened; You have covered him with shame. Selah.

46How long, LORD? Will You hide Yourself forever? Shall Your wrath burn like fire?

47Remember how short my time is; for what vanity have You created the sons of men?

48What man lives and never sees death? Shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave? Selah.

49O Lord, where are Your former lovingkindnesses which You swore to David in Your truth?

50Remember, LORD, the reproach of Your servants, how I bear in my bosom the reproach of all the mighty people

51With which Your enemies have reproached, O LORD; with which they have reproached the footsteps of Your anointed.

52Blessed is the LORD forevermore. Amen and Amen.