1Ein Lehrgedicht von Etan, dem Esrachiter.2Immer will ich die Gnade besingen, die Jahwe uns erwiesen hat, / und den nach uns Kommenden verkündigen wie treu du bist!3Ja, ich bekenne: „Die Gnade ist auf Dauer gebaut, / deine Treue steht im Himmel fest!“4Ich schloss einen Bund mit meinem Erwählten / und schwor meinem Diener David:5„Deine Nachkommenschaft wird ewig bestehen; / für immer hat dein Königshaus Bestand!“ ♪6Die Himmel preisen deine Wunder, Jahwe, / deine Treue die versammelten Engel.[1] (Ps 82,1)7Wer über den Wolken ist so wie Jahwe, / welches himmlische Wesen gleicht ihm?8Gott ist gefürchtet im himmlischen Rat; / Ehrfurcht packt alle, die rings um ihn sind.9Jahwe, Gott, Allmächtiger, wer ist stark wie du? / Mächtig bist du, Jahwe, und die Treue in Person.10Du beherrschst das Ungestüm des Meeres, / wenn seine Wogen toben, glättest du sie.11Du hast Ägypten durchbohrt und zertreten, / mit starkem Arm deine Feinde zerstreut.12Dein ist der Himmel und dein auch die Erde. / Du erschufst die Welt und was sie erfüllt.13Norden und Süden hast du gemacht, / Tabor[2] und Hermon[3] jubeln dir zu.14Dein ist der Arm mit gewaltiger Kraft, / dein die siegreich erhobene Hand.15Gerechtigkeit und Recht gründen deinen Thron, / Gnade und Wahrheit sind die Boten vor dir.16Wie glücklich ist das Volk, das den Festjubel kennt! / Sie leben im Licht deiner Nähe, Jahwe.17In deinem Namen freuen sie sich jeden Tag, / an deiner Gerechtigkeit richten sie sich auf.18Denn der Ruhm ihrer Stärke bist du, / und deine Gnade vermehrt unsere Kraft.19Denn unser schützender Schild gehört Jahwe, / unser König dem Heiligen des Volkes Israel.20Damals sprachst du in einer Vision zu denen, die dich lieben: / „Einen Helden habe ich zum Helfer gemacht, / einen Erwählten erhöht aus dem Volk.21Ich habe meinen Diener David gefunden / und ihn mit dem heiligen Öl ‹zum König› gesalbt.22Ich begleite ihn mit starker Hand / und mein Arm verleiht ihm die nötige Kraft.23Kein Feind soll ihn überlisten, / kein Gottloser setzt ihn herab.24Seine Gegner zerschlag ich vor ihm, / und die ihn hassen, mache ich klein.25Meine Treue und Gnade sollen mit ihm sein, / und durch meinen Namen wächst seine Macht.26Seine Herrschaft breite ich aus bis zum Meer, / bis zu den Strömen seine Gewalt.27Er wird zu mir sagen: 'Du bist mein Vater, / mein Gott, mein rettender Fels!'28Ich mache ihn zum erstgeborenen Sohn, / zum größten aller Könige der Erde.29Meine Gnade will ich ihm ewig bewahren, / ich stehe zu meinem Bund mit ihm.30Sein Königsgeschlecht will ich für immer erhalten; / sein Thron wird bleiben, solange der Himmel besteht.31Wenn seine Söhne meine Weisung verlassen / und nicht nach meinen Ordnungen leben,32wenn sie meine Gesetze entweihen / und meine Gebote nicht halten,33dann bestrafe ich ihr Vergehen mit dem Stock, / ihre Ungerechtigkeit mit Schlägen.34Aber meine Gnade entziehe ich ihm nicht, / und meine Treue verleugne ich nicht.35Ich werde meinen Bund nicht entweihen, / und meine Worte ändere ich nicht ab.36Einmal schwor ich bei meiner Heiligkeit: / 'Ich werde David niemals belügen.37Sein Königsgeschlecht soll ewig bestehen, / sein Thron, solange es die Sonne gibt.38Er stehe dauerhaft fest wie der Mond.' / Denn dieser Zeuge in den Wolken ist treu.“♪39Und doch hast du verstoßen und verschmäht; / du wurdest zornig auf deinen Gesalbten,40hast den Bund mit deinem Diener gelöst, / seine Krone im Schmutz entweiht.41Seine Mauern hast du durchbrochen, / seine Burgen in Trümmer gelegt.42Alle, die vorbeikommen, plündern ihn aus. / Den Nachbarn dient er zum Gespött.43Seinen Gegnern gabst du den Sieg, / alle seine Feinde hast du erfreut.44Sein Schwert hast du stumpf werden lassen, / hast ihn im Kampf nicht unterstützt.45Seinem Glanz hast du ein Ende gemacht, / seinen Thron zu Boden gestürzt.46Du hast ihn vorzeitig alt werden lassen, / mit Schimpf und Schande ihn bedeckt. ♪47Wie lange noch willst du dich verbergen, Jahwe, / lodert wie Feuer dein Zorn?48Denk doch daran, wie kurz mein Leben ist, / zu welcher Nichtigkeit du die Menschen erschufst!49Wo ist der Mann, der unsterblich ist, / der sein Leben aus der Macht des Todes befreit? ♪50Herr, wo sind deine früheren Gnadenerweise, / die du David bei deiner Treue geschworen hast?51Herr, denk doch daran, wie man deine Diener beschimpft, / wie ich es von den vielen Völkern ertrage,52wie deine Feinde höhnen, Jahwe, / wie sie alles verlachen, was dein Gesalbter unternimmt.53Gelobt sei Jahwe für immer! Amen,[4] ja, Amen!
1LORD, I will sing about your great love for ever. For all time to come, I will tell how faithful you are.2I will tell everyone that your love stands firm for ever. I will tell them that you are always faithful, even in heaven itself.3You said, ‘Here is the covenant I have made with my chosen one. Here is the promise I have made to my servant David.4“I will make your family line continue for ever. I will make your kingdom secure for all time to come.” ’5LORD, the heavens praise you for your wonderful deeds. When your holy angels gather together, they praise you for how faithful you are.6Who in the skies above can compare with the LORD? Who among the angels is like the LORD?7God is highly respected among his holy angels. He’s more wonderful than all those who are around him.8LORD God who rules over all, who is like you? LORD, you are mighty. You are faithful in everything you do.9You rule over the stormy sea. When its waves rise up, you calm them down.10You crushed Egypt and killed her people. With your powerful arm you scattered your enemies.11The heavens belong to you. The earth is yours also. You made the world and everything that is in it.12You created everything from north to south. Mount Tabor and Mount Hermon sing to you with joy.13Your arm is powerful. Your hand is strong. Your right hand is mighty.14Your kingdom is built on what is right and fair. Your faithful love leads the way in front of you.15Blessed are those who have learned to shout praise to you. LORD, they live in the light of your kindness.16All day long they are full of joy because of who you are. They celebrate the fact that you do what is right.17You bring them glory and give them strength. You are pleased to honour our king.18Our king is like a shield that keeps us safe. He belongs to the LORD. He belongs to the Holy One of Israel.19You once spoke to your faithful people in a vision. You said, ‘I have given strength to a soldier. I have raised up a young man from among the people.20I have found my servant David. I have poured my sacred oil on his head.21My powerful hand will keep him going. My mighty arm will give him strength.22No enemy will have the victory over him. No evil person will treat him badly.23I will crush the king’s enemies. I will completely destroy them.24I will love him and be faithful to him. Because of me his power will increase.25I will give him a great kingdom. It will reach from the Mediterranean Sea to the River Euphrates.26He will call out to me, “You are my Father. You are my God. You are my Rock and Saviour.”27I will also make him my eldest son. Among all the kings of the earth, he will be the most important one.28I will continue to love him for ever. I will never break my covenant with him.29I will make his family line continue for ever. His kingdom will last as long as the heavens.30‘What if his sons turn away from my laws and do not follow them?31What if they disobey my orders and fail to keep my commands?32Then I will punish them for their sins. I will strike them with a rod. I will whip them for their evil acts.33But I will not stop loving David. I will always be faithful to him.34I will not break my covenant. I will not go back on my word.35Once and for all, I have made a promise. It is based on my holiness. And I will not lie to David.36His family line will continue for ever. His kingdom will last as long as the sun.37It will last for ever like the moon, that faithful witness in the sky.’38But you have turned your back on your anointed king. You have been very angry with him.39You have broken the covenant you made with him. You have thrown your servant’s crown into the dirt.40You have broken through the walls around his city. You have completely destroyed his secure places.41All those who pass by have carried off what belonged to him. His neighbours make fun of him.42You have made his enemies strong. You have made all of them happy.43You have made his sword useless. You have not helped him in battle.44You have put an end to his glory. You have knocked his throne to the ground.45You have cut short the days of his life. You have covered him with shame.46LORD, how long will you hide yourself? Will it be for ever? How long will your anger burn like fire?47Remember how short my life is. You have created all people for such a useless purpose!48Who can live and not die? Who can escape the power of the grave?49Lord, where is the great love you used to have? You faithfully promised it to David.50Lord, remember how my enemies have made fun of me. I’ve had to put up with mean words from all the nations.51LORD, your enemies have said mean things. They have laughed at everything your anointed king has done.52Give praise to the LORD for ever! Amen and Amen.
1A Maskil[1] of Ethan the Ezrahite. I will sing of the steadfast love of the Lord, forever; with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations. (1Kön 4,31; 1Chr 2,6; Ps 88,11; Ps 89,5; Ps 89,8; Ps 89,14; Ps 89,24; Ps 89,28; Ps 89,33; Ps 89,49; Ps 101,1; Ps 119,90; Jes 55,3)2For I said, “Steadfast love will be built up forever; in the heavens you will establish your faithfulness.” (Ps 36,5; Ps 89,1)3You have said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn to David my servant: (2Sam 7,8; 1Kön 8,16; 1Chr 17,7; Ps 89,19; Ps 89,28; Ps 89,34; Ps 89,35; Ps 89,39; Ps 89,49; Ps 132,11; Jes 42,1; Jer 33,17)4‘I will establish your offspring forever, and build your throne for all generations.’” (Ps 89,29; Ps 89,36; Jes 9,7; Lk 1,32; Joh 12,34)5Let the heavens praise your wonders, O Lord, your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones! (Hi 1,6; Hi 5,1; Hi 15,15; Ps 19,1; Ps 50,6; Ps 88,12; Ps 89,7; Ps 97,6; Offb 7,10)6For who in the skies can be compared to the Lord? Who among the heavenly beings[2] is like the Lord, (Ps 86,8; Ps 89,8)7a God greatly to be feared in the council of the holy ones, and awesome above all who are around him? (Ps 47,2; Ps 89,5; Ps 103,20)8O Lord God of hosts, who is mighty as you are, O Lord, with your faithfulness all around you? (1Sam 2,2; Ps 35,10; Ps 68,4)9You rule the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, you still them. (Hi 38,11; Ps 65,7)10You crushed Rahab like a carcass; you scattered your enemies with your mighty arm. (2Mo 14,30; Hi 9,13; Ps 53,5)11The heavens are yours; the earth also is yours; the world and all that is in it, you have founded them. (1Mo 1,1; 1Chr 29,11; Ps 24,1; Ps 104,5)12The north and the south, you have created them; Tabor and Hermon joyously praise your name. (5Mo 3,9; Hi 26,7; Ps 98,8; Jer 46,18)13You have a mighty arm; strong is your hand, high your right hand.14Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before you. (Ps 85,13; Ps 89,2; Ps 97,2)15Blessed are the people who know the festal shout, who walk, O Lord, in the light of your face, (Ps 4,6; Ps 66,1)16who exult in your name all the day and in your righteousness are exalted. (Hi 36,7; Ps 20,5; Ps 20,7)17For you are the glory of their strength; by your favor our horn is exalted. (Ps 75,10; Ps 78,61; Ps 89,24)18For our shield belongs to the Lord, our king to the Holy One of Israel. (Ps 47,9; Ps 71,22)19Of old you spoke in a vision to your godly one,[3] and said: “I have granted help to one who is mighty; I have exalted one chosen from the people. (2Sam 17,10; Ps 21,5; Ps 89,3)20I have found David, my servant; with my holy oil I have anointed him, (1Sam 16,13; Apg 13,22)21so that my hand shall be established with him; my arm also shall strengthen him. (Ps 80,17)22The enemy shall not outwit him; the wicked shall not humble him. (2Sam 7,10)23I will crush his foes before him and strike down those who hate him. (2Sam 7,9; Ps 2,9)24My faithfulness and my steadfast love shall be with him, and in my name shall his horn be exalted. (Ps 89,1; Ps 89,17)25I will set his hand on the sea and his right hand on the rivers. (Ps 72,8)26He shall cry to me, ‘You are my Father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation.’ (2Sam 7,14; Ps 18,2)27And I will make him the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth. (2Mo 4,22; 4Mo 24,7; Röm 8,29; Kol 1,15; Kol 1,18; Hebr 1,5; Offb 19,16)28My steadfast love I will keep for him forever, and my covenant will stand firm[4] for him. (Ps 89,3)29I will establish his offspring forever and his throne as the days of the heavens. (Hi 14,12; Ps 89,4)30If his children forsake my law and do not walk according to my rules,[5] (2Sam 7,14; 1Kön 2,4)31if they violate my statutes and do not keep my commandments,32then I will punish their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes, (Hi 9,34)33but I will not remove from him my steadfast love or be false to my faithfulness.34I will not violate my covenant or alter the word that went forth from my lips. (Ps 89,28)35Once for all I have sworn by my holiness; I will not lie to David. (Ps 60,6; Hebr 6,18)36His offspring shall endure forever, his throne as long as the sun before me. (Ps 72,5; Ps 89,4; Ps 89,29)37Like the moon it shall be established forever, a faithful witness in the skies.” (Hi 16,19; Ps 89,36)38But now you have cast off and rejected; you are full of wrath against your anointed. (Ps 44,9; Ps 89,20; Ps 89,51)39You have renounced the covenant with your servant; you have defiled his crown in the dust. (Hi 19,9; Ps 74,7; Ps 89,3; Kla 2,7)40You have breached all his walls; you have laid his strongholds in ruins. (Ps 80,12)41All who pass by plunder him; he has become the scorn of his neighbors. (Ps 44,13; Ps 69,9; Ps 69,19; Ps 89,40; Ps 89,50)42You have exalted the right hand of his foes; you have made all his enemies rejoice.43You have also turned back the edge of his sword, and you have not made him stand in battle.44You have made his splendor to cease and cast his throne to the ground.45You have cut short the days of his youth; you have covered him with shame. (Ps 71,13; Ps 102,23; Ps 109,29)46How long, O Lord? Will you hide yourself forever? How long will your wrath burn like fire? (Ps 13,1; Ps 78,63; Ps 79,5)47Remember how short my time is! For what vanity you have created all the children of man! (Hi 7,7; Hi 10,9; Hi 14,1; Ps 39,5)48What man can live and never see death? Who can deliver his soul from the power of Sheol? (Ps 16,10; Ps 49,9; Lk 2,26; Hebr 11,5)49Lord, where is your steadfast love of old, which by your faithfulness you swore to David? (Ps 89,1)50Remember, O Lord, how your servants are mocked, and how I bear in my heart the insults[6] of all the many nations, (Ps 74,18; Ps 74,22; Ps 79,12; Ps 89,41)51with which your enemies mock, O Lord, with which they mock the footsteps of your anointed. (Ps 17,11; Ps 56,6; Ps 89,20; Ps 89,38)52Blessed be the Lord forever! Amen and Amen. (Ps 41,13)