Psalm 72

Of Solomon.

Endow the king with your justice,(A) O God,
    the royal son with your righteousness.
May he judge your people in righteousness,(B)
    your afflicted ones with justice.

May the mountains bring prosperity to the people,
    the hills the fruit of righteousness.
May he defend the afflicted(C) among the people
    and save the children of the needy;(D)
    may he crush the oppressor.(E)
May he endure[a](F) as long as the sun,
    as long as the moon, through all generations.(G)
May he be like rain(H) falling on a mown field,
    like showers watering the earth.
In his days may the righteous flourish(I)
    and prosperity abound till the moon is no more.

May he rule from sea to sea
    and from the River[b](J) to the ends of the earth.(K)
May the desert tribes bow before him
    and his enemies lick the dust.
10 May the kings of Tarshish(L) and of distant shores(M)
    bring tribute to him.
May the kings of Sheba(N) and Seba
    present him gifts.(O)
11 May all kings bow down(P) to him
    and all nations serve(Q) him.

12 For he will deliver the needy who cry out,
    the afflicted who have no one to help.
13 He will take pity(R) on the weak and the needy
    and save the needy from death.
14 He will rescue(S) them from oppression and violence,
    for precious(T) is their blood in his sight.

15 Long may he live!
    May gold from Sheba(U) be given him.
May people ever pray for him
    and bless him all day long.(V)
16 May grain(W) abound throughout the land;
    on the tops of the hills may it sway.
May the crops(X) flourish like Lebanon(Y)
    and thrive[c] like the grass of the field.(Z)
17 May his name endure forever;(AA)
    may it continue as long as the sun.(AB)

Then all nations will be blessed through him,[d]
    and they will call him blessed.(AC)

18 Praise be to the Lord God, the God of Israel,(AD)
    who alone does marvelous deeds.(AE)
19 Praise be to his glorious name(AF) forever;
    may the whole earth be filled with his glory.(AG)
Amen and Amen.(AH)

20 This concludes the prayers of David son of Jesse.(AI)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 72:5 Septuagint; Hebrew You will be feared
  2. Psalm 72:8 That is, the Euphrates
  3. Psalm 72:16 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text Lebanon, / from the city
  4. Psalm 72:17 Or will use his name in blessings (see Gen. 48:20)

72 Give the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness unto the king's son.

He shall judge thy people with righteousness, and thy poor with judgment.

The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness.

He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor.

They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations.

He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth.

In his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth.

He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.

They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him; and his enemies shall lick the dust.

10 The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents: the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts.

11 Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him.

12 For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper.

13 He shall spare the poor and needy, and shall save the souls of the needy.

14 He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence: and precious shall their blood be in his sight.

15 And he shall live, and to him shall be given of the gold of Sheba: prayer also shall be made for him continually; and daily shall he be praised.

16 There shall be an handful of corn in the earth upon the top of the mountains; the fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon: and they of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth.

17 His name shall endure for ever: his name shall be continued as long as the sun: and men shall be blessed in him: all nations shall call him blessed.

18 Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things.

19 And blessed be his glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with his glory; Amen, and Amen.

20 The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.

The Queen of Sheba Visits Solomon(A)

10 When the queen of Sheba(B) heard about the fame(C) of Solomon and his relationship to the Lord, she came to test Solomon with hard questions.(D) Arriving at Jerusalem with a very great caravan(E)—with camels carrying spices, large quantities of gold, and precious stones—she came to Solomon and talked with him about all that she had on her mind. Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too hard for the king to explain to her. When the queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon and the palace he had built, the food on his table,(F) the seating of his officials, the attending servants in their robes, his cupbearers, and the burnt offerings he made at[a] the temple of the Lord, she was overwhelmed.

She said to the king, “The report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true. But I did not believe(G) these things until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half was told me; in wisdom and wealth(H) you have far exceeded the report I heard. How happy your people must be! How happy your officials, who continually stand before you and hear(I) your wisdom! Praise(J) be to the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the Lord’s eternal love(K) for Israel, he has made you king to maintain justice(L) and righteousness.”

10 And she gave the king 120 talents[b] of gold,(M) large quantities of spices, and precious stones. Never again were so many spices brought in as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

11 (Hiram’s ships brought gold from Ophir;(N) and from there they brought great cargoes of almugwood[c] and precious stones. 12 The king used the almugwood to make supports[d] for the temple of the Lord and for the royal palace, and to make harps and lyres for the musicians. So much almugwood has never been imported or seen since that day.)

13 King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired and asked for, besides what he had given her out of his royal bounty. Then she left and returned with her retinue to her own country.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 10:5 Or the ascent by which he went up to
  2. 1 Kings 10:10 That is, about 4 1/2 tons or about 4 metric tons
  3. 1 Kings 10:11 Probably a variant of algumwood; also in verse 12
  4. 1 Kings 10:12 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.

10 And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to prove him with hard questions.

And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bare spices, and very much gold, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart.

And Solomon told her all her questions: there was not any thing hid from the king, which he told her not.

And when the queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon's wisdom, and the house that he had built,

And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cupbearers, and his ascent by which he went up unto the house of the Lord; there was no more spirit in her.

And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom.

Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard.

Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom.

Blessed be the Lord thy God, which delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel: because the Lord loved Israel for ever, therefore made he thee king, to do judgment and justice.

10 And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices very great store, and precious stones: there came no more such abundance of spices as these which the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon.

11 And the navy also of Hiram, that brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir great plenty of almug trees, and precious stones.

12 And the king made of the almug trees pillars for the house of the Lord, and for the king's house, harps also and psalteries for singers: there came no such almug trees, nor were seen unto this day.

13 And king Solomon gave unto the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, beside that which Solomon gave her of his royal bounty. So she turned and went to her own country, she and her servants.

Read full chapter

A Prayer for the Ephesians

14 For this reason I kneel(A) before the Father, 15 from whom every family[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches(B) he may strengthen you with power(C) through his Spirit in your inner being,(D) 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts(E) through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted(F) and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people,(G) to grasp how wide and long and high and deep(H) is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge(I)—that you may be filled(J) to the measure of all the fullness of God.(K)

20 Now to him who is able(L) to do immeasurably more than all we ask(M) or imagine, according to his power(N) that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.(O)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Ephesians 3:15 The Greek for family (patria) is derived from the Greek for father (pater).

14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,

16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;

17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,

18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;

19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

Read full chapter