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Prayer for Help against Persecutors.

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David, to bring to remembrance.

70 O God, come quickly to save me;
O Lord, come quickly to help me!

Let those be ashamed and humiliated
Who seek my life;
Let them be turned back and humiliated
Who delight in my hurt.

Let them be turned back because of their shame and disgrace
Who say, “Aha, aha!”


May all those who seek You [as life’s first priority] rejoice and be glad in You;
May those who love Your salvation say continually,
“Let God be magnified!”

But I am afflicted and needy;
Come quickly to me, O God!
You are my help and my rescuer;
O Lord, do not delay.

Prayer of an Old Man for Rescue.

71 In you, O Lord, I have put my trust and confidently taken refuge;
Let me never be [a]put to shame.

In Your righteousness deliver me and rescue me;
Incline Your ear to me and save me.

Be to me a rock of refuge and a sheltering stronghold to which I may continually come;
You have given the commandment to save me,
For You are my rock and my fortress.

Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked (godless),
From the grasp of the unrighteous and ruthless man.

For You are my hope;
O Lord God, You are my trust and the source of my confidence from my youth.

Upon You have I relied and been sustained from my birth;
You are He who took me from my mother’s womb and You have been my benefactor from that day.
My praise is continually of You.


I am as a wonder to many,
For You are my strong refuge.

My mouth is filled with Your praise
And with Your glory all day long.

Do not cast me off nor send me away in the time of old age;
Do not abandon me when my strength fails and I am weak.
10 
For my enemies have spoken against me;
Those who watch for my life have consulted together,
11 
Saying, “God has abandoned him;
Pursue and seize him, for there is no one to rescue him.”

12 
O God, do not be far from me;
O my God, come quickly to help me!
13 
Let those who attack my life be ashamed and consumed;
Let them be covered with reproach and dishonor, who seek to injure me.
14 
But as for me, I will wait and hope continually,
And will praise You yet more and more.
15 
My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness
And of Your [deeds of] salvation all day long,
For their number is more than I know.
16 
I will come with the mighty acts of the Lord God [and in His strength];
I will make mention of Your righteousness, Yours alone.

17 
O God, You have taught me from my youth,
And I still declare Your wondrous works and miraculous deeds.
18 
And even when I am old and gray-headed, O God, do not abandon me,
Until I declare Your [mighty] strength to this generation,
Your power to all who are to come.
19 
Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the [height of the] heavens,
You who have done great things;
O God, who is like You, [who is Your equal]?
20 
You who have shown [b]me many troubles and distresses
Will revive and renew me again,
And will bring me up again from the depths of the earth.
21 
May You increase my greatness (honor)
And turn to comfort me.

22 
I will also praise You with the harp,
Your truth and faithfulness, O my God;
To You I will sing praises with the lyre,
O Holy One of Israel.
23 
My lips will shout for joy when I sing praises to You,
And my soul, which You have redeemed.
24 
My tongue also will speak of Your righteousness all day long;
For they are ashamed, for they are humiliated who seek my injury.

The Reign of the Righteous King.

A Psalm of Solomon.

72 Give the king [knowledge of] Your judgments, O God,
And [the spirit of] Your righteousness to the king’s son [to guide all his ways].

May he judge Your people with righteousness,
And Your afflicted with justice.(A)

The mountains will bring peace and prosperity to the people,
And the hills, in [the establishment of] righteousness.

May he bring justice to the poor among the people,
Save the children of the needy
And crush the oppressor,


Let them fear You [with awe-inspired reverence and worship You with obedience] while the sun endures,
And as long as the moon [reflects light], throughout all generations.

May he come down like rain on the mown grass,
Like showers that water the earth.

In his days may the righteous flourish,
And peace abound until the moon is no more.(B)


May he also rule from sea to sea
And from the River [Euphrates] to the ends of the earth.(C)

The nomads of the desert will bow before him,
And his enemies will [c]lick the dust.
10 
The kings of Tarshish and of the islands will bring offerings;
The kings of Sheba and Seba will offer gifts.
11 
Yes, all kings will bow down before him,
All nations will serve him.(D)

12 
For he will rescue the needy when he cries for help,
The afflicted and abused also, and him who has no helper.
13 
He will have compassion on the poor and needy,
And he will save the lives of the needy.
14 
He will redeem their life from oppression and fraud and violence,
And their blood will be precious in His sight.
15 
So may he live, and may the gold of Sheba be given to him;
And let them pray for him continually;
Let them bless and praise him all day long.

16 
There will be an abundance of grain in the soil on the top of the [d]mountains;
Its fruit will wave like [the cedars of] Lebanon,
And those of the city will flourish like grass of the earth.
17 
May his name endure forever;
May his name continue as long as the sun;
And let men bless themselves by him;
Let all nations call him blessed.

18 
Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,
Who alone does wonderful things.
19 
Blessed be His glorious name forever;
And may the whole earth be filled with His glory.
Amen and Amen.

20 
The prayers of David son of Jesse are ended.

Book Three

The End of the Wicked Contrasted with That of the Righteous.

A Psalm of Asaph.

73 Truly God is good to Israel,
To those who are pure in heart.

But as for me, my feet came close to stumbling,
My steps had almost slipped.

For I was envious of the arrogant
As I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

For there are no pains in their death,
Their body is fat and pampered.

They are not in trouble as other men,
Nor are they plagued like mankind.

Therefore pride is their necklace;
Violence covers them like a garment [like a long, luxurious robe].

Their eye bulges from fatness [they have more than the heart desires];
The imaginations of their mind run riot [with foolishness].

They mock and wickedly speak of oppression;
They speak loftily [with malice].

They set their mouth against the heavens,
And their tongue swaggers through the earth.(E)

10 
Therefore his people return to this place,
And waters of abundance [offered by the irreverent] are [blindly] drunk by them.
11 
They say, “How does God know?
Is there knowledge [of us] with the Most High?”
12 
Behold, these are the ungodly,
Who always prosper and are at ease [in the world]; they have increased in wealth.
13 
Surely then in vain I have cleansed my heart
And washed my hands in innocence.(F)
14 
For all the day long have I been stricken,
And punished every morning.

15 
If I had said, “I will say this,” [and expressed my feelings],
I would have betrayed the generation of Your children.
16 
When I considered how to understand this,
It was too great an effort for me and too painful
17 
Until I came into the sanctuary of God;
Then I understood [for I considered] their end.
18 
Surely You set the wicked-minded and immoral on slippery places;
You cast them down to destruction.
19 
How they are destroyed in a moment!
They are completely swept away by sudden terrors!
20 
Like a dream [which seems real] until one awakens,
O Lord, when stirred, [You observe the wicked], You will despise their image.

21 
When my heart was embittered
And I was pierced within [as with the fang of an adder],
22 
Then I was senseless and ignorant;
I was like a beast before You.
23 
Nevertheless I am continually with You;
You have taken hold of my right hand.
24 
You will guide me with Your counsel,
And afterward receive me to honor and glory.

25 
Whom have I in heaven [but You]?
And besides You, I desire nothing on earth.
26 
My flesh and my heart may fail,
But God is the rock and strength of my heart and my portion forever.
27 
For behold, those who are far from You will perish;
You have destroyed all those who are unfaithful and have abandoned You.
28 
But as for me, it is good for me to draw near to God;
I have made the Lord God my refuge and placed my trust in Him,
That I may tell of all Your works.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 71:1 I.e. have my expectations in Your goodness be disappointed.
  2. Psalm 71:20 Another reading is us.
  3. Psalm 72:9 I.e. lay themselves face down in submission.
  4. Psalm 72:16 I.e. the most barren part of the land.

Psalm 70[a](A)

For the director of music. Of David. A petition.

Hasten, O God, to save me;
    come quickly, Lord, to help me.(B)

May those who want to take my life(C)
    be put to shame and confusion;
may all who desire my ruin
    be turned back in disgrace.(D)
May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!”(E)
    turn back because of their shame.
But may all who seek you(F)
    rejoice and be glad(G) in you;
may those who long for your saving help always say,
    “The Lord is great!”(H)

But as for me, I am poor and needy;(I)
    come quickly to me,(J) O God.
You are my help(K) and my deliverer;(L)
    Lord, do not delay.(M)

Psalm 71(N)

In you, Lord, I have taken refuge;(O)
    let me never be put to shame.(P)
In your righteousness, rescue me and deliver me;
    turn your ear(Q) to me and save me.
Be my rock of refuge,
    to which I can always go;
give the command to save me,
    for you are my rock and my fortress.(R)
Deliver(S) me, my God, from the hand of the wicked,(T)
    from the grasp of those who are evil and cruel.(U)

For you have been my hope,(V) Sovereign Lord,
    my confidence(W) since my youth.
From birth(X) I have relied on you;
    you brought me forth from my mother’s womb.(Y)
    I will ever praise(Z) you.
I have become a sign(AA) to many;
    you are my strong refuge.(AB)
My mouth(AC) is filled with your praise,
    declaring your splendor(AD) all day long.

Do not cast(AE) me away when I am old;(AF)
    do not forsake(AG) me when my strength is gone.
10 For my enemies(AH) speak against me;
    those who wait to kill(AI) me conspire(AJ) together.
11 They say, “God has forsaken(AK) him;
    pursue him and seize him,
    for no one will rescue(AL) him.”
12 Do not be far(AM) from me, my God;
    come quickly, God, to help(AN) me.
13 May my accusers(AO) perish in shame;(AP)
    may those who want to harm me
    be covered with scorn and disgrace.(AQ)

14 As for me, I will always have hope;(AR)
    I will praise you more and more.

15 My mouth will tell(AS) of your righteous deeds,(AT)
    of your saving acts all day long—
    though I know not how to relate them all.
16 I will come and proclaim your mighty acts,(AU) Sovereign Lord;
    I will proclaim your righteous deeds, yours alone.
17 Since my youth, God, you have taught(AV) me,
    and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds.(AW)
18 Even when I am old and gray,(AX)
    do not forsake me, my God,
till I declare your power(AY) to the next generation,
    your mighty acts to all who are to come.(AZ)

19 Your righteousness, God, reaches to the heavens,(BA)
    you who have done great things.(BB)
    Who is like you, God?(BC)
20 Though you have made me see troubles,(BD)
    many and bitter,
    you will restore(BE) my life again;
from the depths of the earth(BF)
    you will again bring me up.
21 You will increase my honor(BG)
    and comfort(BH) me once more.

22 I will praise you with the harp(BI)
    for your faithfulness, my God;
I will sing praise to you with the lyre,(BJ)
    Holy One of Israel.(BK)
23 My lips will shout for joy(BL)
    when I sing praise to you—
    I whom you have delivered.(BM)
24 My tongue will tell of your righteous acts
    all day long,(BN)
for those who wanted to harm me(BO)
    have been put to shame and confusion.(BP)

Psalm 72

Of Solomon.

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

May the mountains bring prosperity to the people,
    the hills the fruit of righteousness.
May he defend the afflicted(BS) among the people
    and save the children of the needy;(BT)
    may he crush the oppressor.(BU)
May he endure[b](BV) as long as the sun,
    as long as the moon, through all generations.(BW)
May he be like rain(BX) falling on a mown field,
    like showers watering the earth.
In his days may the righteous flourish(BY)
    and prosperity abound till the moon is no more.

May he rule from sea to sea
    and from the River[c](BZ) to the ends of the earth.(CA)
May the desert tribes bow before him
    and his enemies lick the dust.
10 May the kings of Tarshish(CB) and of distant shores(CC)
    bring tribute to him.
May the kings of Sheba(CD) and Seba
    present him gifts.(CE)
11 May all kings bow down(CF) to him
    and all nations serve(CG) him.

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

15 Long may he live!
    May gold from Sheba(CK) be given him.
May people ever pray for him
    and bless him all day long.(CL)
16 May grain(CM) abound throughout the land;
    on the tops of the hills may it sway.
May the crops(CN) flourish like Lebanon(CO)
    and thrive[d] like the grass of the field.(CP)
17 May his name endure forever;(CQ)
    may it continue as long as the sun.(CR)

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

18 Praise be to the Lord God, the God of Israel,(CT)
    who alone does marvelous deeds.(CU)
19 Praise be to his glorious name(CV) forever;
    may the whole earth be filled with his glory.(CW)
Amen and Amen.(CX)

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

BOOK III

Psalms 73–89

Psalm 73

A psalm of Asaph.

Surely God is good to Israel,
    to those who are pure in heart.(CZ)

But as for me, my feet had almost slipped;(DA)
    I had nearly lost my foothold.(DB)
For I envied(DC) the arrogant
    when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.(DD)

They have no struggles;
    their bodies are healthy and strong.[f]
They are free(DE) from common human burdens;
    they are not plagued by human ills.
Therefore pride(DF) is their necklace;(DG)
    they clothe themselves with violence.(DH)
From their callous hearts(DI) comes iniquity[g];
    their evil imaginations have no limits.
They scoff, and speak with malice;(DJ)
    with arrogance(DK) they threaten oppression.(DL)
Their mouths lay claim to heaven,
    and their tongues take possession of the earth.
10 Therefore their people turn to them
    and drink up waters in abundance.[h]
11 They say, “How would God know?
    Does the Most High know anything?”

12 This is what the wicked are like—
    always free of care,(DM) they go on amassing wealth.(DN)

13 Surely in vain(DO) I have kept my heart pure
    and have washed my hands in innocence.(DP)
14 All day long I have been afflicted,(DQ)
    and every morning brings new punishments.

15 If I had spoken out like that,
    I would have betrayed your children.
16 When I tried to understand(DR) all this,
    it troubled me deeply
17 till I entered the sanctuary(DS) of God;
    then I understood their final destiny.(DT)

18 Surely you place them on slippery ground;(DU)
    you cast them down to ruin.(DV)
19 How suddenly(DW) are they destroyed,
    completely swept away(DX) by terrors!
20 They are like a dream(DY) when one awakes;(DZ)
    when you arise, Lord,
    you will despise them as fantasies.(EA)

21 When my heart was grieved
    and my spirit embittered,
22 I was senseless(EB) and ignorant;
    I was a brute beast(EC) before you.

23 Yet I am always with you;
    you hold me by my right hand.(ED)
24 You guide(EE) me with your counsel,(EF)
    and afterward you will take me into glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you?(EG)
    And earth has nothing I desire besides you.(EH)
26 My flesh and my heart(EI) may fail,(EJ)
    but God is the strength(EK) of my heart
    and my portion(EL) forever.

27 Those who are far from you will perish;(EM)
    you destroy all who are unfaithful(EN) to you.
28 But as for me, it is good to be near God.(EO)
    I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge;(EP)
    I will tell of all your deeds.(EQ)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 70:1 In Hebrew texts 70:1-5 is numbered 70:2-6.
  2. Psalm 72:5 Septuagint; Hebrew You will be feared
  3. Psalm 72:8 That is, the Euphrates
  4. Psalm 72:16 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text Lebanon, / from the city
  5. Psalm 72:17 Or will use his name in blessings (see Gen. 48:20)
  6. Psalm 73:4 With a different word division of the Hebrew; Masoretic Text struggles at their death; / their bodies are healthy
  7. Psalm 73:7 Syriac (see also Septuagint); Hebrew Their eyes bulge with fat
  8. Psalm 73:10 The meaning of the Hebrew for this verse is uncertain.