Psalms 86:16-17; Psalms 87; Psalms 88; Psalms 89:1-35

Psalms 86:16-17

16 Turn to me and have mercy on me; show your strength in behalf of your servant; save me, because I serve you just as my mother did.

17 Give me a sign of your goodness, that my enemies may see it and be put to shame, for you, LORD, have helped me and comforted me.

Psalms 87

1 He has founded his city on the holy mountain.

2 The LORD loves the gates of Zion more than all the other dwellings of Jacob.

3 Glorious things are said of you, city of God:

4 “I will record Rahab and Babylon among those who acknowledge me— Philistia too, and Tyre, along with Cush — and will say, ‘This one was born in Zion.’ ”

5 Indeed, of Zion it will be said, “This one and that one were born in her, and the Most High himself will establish her.”

6 The LORD will write in the register of the peoples: “This one was born in Zion.”

7 As they make music they will sing, “All my fountains are in you.”

Psalms 88

1 LORD, you are the God who saves me; day and night I cry out to you.

2 May my prayer come before you; turn your ear to my cry.

3 I am overwhelmed with troubles and my life draws near to death.

4 I am counted among those who go down to the pit; I am like one without strength.

5 I am set apart with the dead, like the slain who lie in the grave, whom you remember no more, who are cut off from your care.

6 You have put me in the lowest pit, in the darkest depths.

7 Your wrath lies heavily on me; you have overwhelmed me with all your waves.

8 You have taken from me my closest friends and have made me repulsive to them. I am confined and cannot escape;

9 my eyes are dim with grief. I call to you, LORD, every day; I spread out my hands to you.

10 Do you show your wonders to the dead? Do their spirits rise up and praise you?

11 Is your love declared in the grave, your faithfulness in Destruction ?

12 Are your wonders known in the place of darkness, or your righteous deeds in the land of oblivion?

13 But I cry to you for help, LORD; in the morning my prayer comes before you.

14 Why, LORD, do you reject me and hide your face from me?

15 From my youth I have suffered and been close to death; I have borne your terrors and am in despair.

16 Your wrath has swept over me; your terrors have destroyed me.

17 All day long they surround me like a flood; they have completely engulfed me.

18 You have taken from me friend and neighbor— darkness is my closest friend.

Psalms 89:1-35

1 I will sing of the LORD’s great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations.

2 I will declare that your love stands firm forever, that you have established your faithfulness in heaven itself.

3 You said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I have sworn to David my servant,

4 ‘I will establish your line forever and make your throne firm through all generations.’ ”

5 The heavens praise your wonders, LORD, your faithfulness too, in the assembly of the holy ones.

6 For who in the skies above can compare with the LORD? Who is like the LORD among the heavenly beings?

7 In the council of the holy ones God is greatly feared; he is more awesome than all who surround him.

8 Who is like you, LORD God Almighty? You, LORD, are mighty, and your faithfulness surrounds you.

9 You rule over the surging sea; when its waves mount up, you still them.

10 You crushed Rahab like one of the slain; with your strong arm you scattered your enemies.

11 The heavens are yours, and yours also the earth; you founded the world and all that is in it.

12 You created the north and the south; Tabor and Hermon sing for joy at your name.

13 Your arm is endowed with power; your hand is strong, your right hand exalted.

14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you.

15 Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, LORD.

16 They rejoice in your name all day long; they celebrate your righteousness.

17 For you are their glory and strength, and by your favor you exalt our horn.

18 Indeed, our shield belongs to the LORD, our king to the Holy One of Israel.

19 Once you spoke in a vision, to your faithful people you said: “I have bestowed strength on a warrior; I have raised up a young man from among the people.

20 I have found David my servant; with my sacred oil I have anointed him.

21 My hand will sustain him; surely my arm will strengthen him.

22 The enemy will not get the better of him; the wicked will not oppress him.

23 I will crush his foes before him and strike down his adversaries.

24 My faithful love will be with him, and through my name his horn will be exalted.

25 I will set his hand over the sea, his right hand over the rivers.

26 He will call out to me, ‘You are my Father, my God, the Rock my Savior.’

27 And I will appoint him to be my firstborn, the most exalted of the kings of the earth.

28 I will maintain my love to him forever, and my covenant with him will never fail.

29 I will establish his line forever, his throne as long as the heavens endure.

30 “If his sons forsake my law and do not follow my statutes,

31 if they violate my decrees and fail to keep my commands,

32 I will punish their sin with the rod, their iniquity with flogging;

33 but I will not take my love from him, nor will I ever betray my faithfulness.

34 I will not violate my covenant or alter what my lips have uttered.

35 Once for all, I have sworn by my holiness— and I will not lie to David—