Psalm 72-77
New King James Version
Glory and Universality of the Messiah’s Reign
A Psalm (A)of Solomon.
72 Give the king Your judgments, O God,
And Your righteousness to the king’s Son.
2 (B)He will judge Your people with righteousness,
And Your poor with justice.
3 (C)The mountains will bring peace to the people,
And the little hills, by righteousness.
4 (D)He will bring justice to the poor of the people;
He will save the children of the needy,
And will [a]break in pieces the oppressor.
5 [b]They shall fear You
(E)As long as the sun and moon endure,
Throughout all generations.
6 (F)He shall come down like rain upon the grass before mowing,
Like showers that water the earth.
7 In His days the righteous shall flourish,
(G)And abundance of peace,
Until the moon is no more.
8 (H)He shall have dominion also from sea to sea,
And from the River to the ends of the earth.
9 (I)Those who dwell in the wilderness will bow before Him,
(J)And His enemies will lick the dust.
10 (K)The kings of Tarshish and of the isles
Will bring presents;
The kings of Sheba and Seba
Will offer gifts.
11 (L)Yes, all kings shall fall down before Him;
All nations shall serve Him.
12 For He (M)will deliver the needy when he cries,
The poor also, and him who has no helper.
13 He will spare the poor and needy,
And will save the souls of the needy.
14 He will redeem their life from oppression and violence;
And (N)precious shall be their blood in His sight.
15 And He shall live;
And the gold of (O)Sheba will be given to Him;
Prayer also will be made for Him continually,
And daily He shall be praised.
16 There will be an abundance of grain in the earth,
On the top of the mountains;
Its fruit shall wave like Lebanon;
(P)And those of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth.
17 (Q)His name shall endure forever;
His name shall continue as long as the sun.
And (R)men shall be blessed in Him;
(S)All nations shall call Him blessed.
18 (T)Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,
(U)Who only does wondrous things!
19 And (V)blessed be His glorious name forever!
(W)And let the whole earth be filled with His glory.
Amen and Amen.
20 The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.
BOOK THREE
Psalms 73–89
The Tragedy of the Wicked, and the Blessedness of Trust in God
A Psalm of (X)Asaph.
73 Truly God is good to Israel,
To such as are pure in heart.
2 But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled;
My steps had nearly (Y)slipped.
3 (Z)For I was envious of the boastful,
When I saw the prosperity of the (AA)wicked.
4 For there are no [c]pangs in their death,
But their strength is firm.
5 (AB)They are not in trouble as other men,
Nor are they plagued like other men.
6 Therefore pride serves as their necklace;
Violence covers them (AC)like a garment.
7 (AD)Their [d]eyes bulge with abundance;
They have more than heart could wish.
8 (AE)They scoff and speak wickedly concerning oppression;
They (AF)speak [e]loftily.
9 They set their mouth (AG)against the heavens,
And their tongue walks through the earth.
10 Therefore his people return here,
(AH)And waters of a full cup are drained by them.
11 And they say, (AI)“How does God know?
And is there knowledge in the Most High?”
12 Behold, these are the ungodly,
Who are always at ease;
They increase in riches.
13 Surely I have [f]cleansed my heart in (AJ)vain,
And washed my hands in innocence.
14 For all day long I have been plagued,
And chastened every morning.
15 If I had said, “I will speak thus,”
Behold, I would have been untrue to the generation of Your children.
16 When I thought how to understand this,
It was [g]too painful for me—
17 Until I went into the sanctuary of God;
Then I understood their (AK)end.
18 Surely (AL)You set them in slippery places;
You cast them down to destruction.
19 Oh, how they are brought to desolation, as in a moment!
They are utterly consumed with terrors.
20 As a dream when one awakes,
So, Lord, when You awake,
You shall despise their image.
21 Thus my heart was grieved,
And I was [h]vexed in my mind.
22 (AM)I was so foolish and ignorant;
I was like a beast before You.
23 Nevertheless I am continually with You;
You hold me by my right hand.
24 (AN)You will guide me with Your counsel,
And afterward receive me to glory.
25 (AO)Whom have I in heaven but You?
And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.
26 (AP)My flesh and my heart fail;
But God is the [i]strength of my heart and my (AQ)portion forever.
27 For indeed, (AR)those who are far from You shall perish;
You have destroyed all those who [j]desert You for harlotry.
28 But it is good for me to (AS)draw near to God;
I have put my trust in the Lord God,
That I may (AT)declare all Your works.
A Plea for Relief from Oppressors
A [k]Contemplation of Asaph.
74 O God, why have You cast us off forever?
Why does Your anger smoke against the sheep of Your pasture?
2 Remember Your congregation, which You have purchased of old,
The tribe of Your inheritance, which You have redeemed—
This Mount Zion where You have dwelt.
3 Lift up Your feet to the perpetual desolations.
The enemy has damaged everything in the sanctuary.
4 (AU)Your enemies roar in the midst of Your meeting place;
(AV)They set up their banners for signs.
5 They seem like men who lift up
Axes among the thick trees.
6 And now they break down its carved work, all at once,
With axes and hammers.
7 They have set fire to Your sanctuary;
They have defiled the dwelling place of Your name to the ground.
8 (AW)They said in their hearts,
“Let us [l]destroy them altogether.”
They have burned up all the meeting places of God in the land.
9 We do not see our signs;
(AX)There is no longer any prophet;
Nor is there any among us who knows how long.
10 O God, how long will the adversary [m]reproach?
Will the enemy blaspheme Your name forever?
11 (AY)Why do You withdraw Your hand, even Your right hand?
Take it out of Your bosom and destroy them.
12 For (AZ)God is my King from of old,
Working salvation in the midst of the earth.
13 (BA)You divided the sea by Your strength;
You broke the heads of the [n]sea serpents in the waters.
14 You broke the heads of [o]Leviathan in pieces,
And gave him as food to the people inhabiting the wilderness.
15 (BB)You broke open the fountain and the flood;
(BC)You dried up mighty rivers.
16 The day is Yours, the night also is (BD)Yours;
(BE)You have prepared the light and the sun.
17 You have (BF)set all the borders of the earth;
(BG)You have made summer and winter.
18 Remember this, that the enemy has reproached, O Lord,
And that a foolish people has blasphemed Your name.
19 Oh, do not deliver the life of Your turtledove to the wild beast!
Do not forget the life of Your poor forever.
20 (BH)Have respect to the covenant;
For the [p]dark places of the earth are full of the [q]haunts of [r]cruelty.
21 Oh, do not let the oppressed return ashamed!
Let the poor and needy praise Your name.
22 Arise, O God, plead Your own cause;
Remember how the foolish man [s]reproaches You daily.
23 Do not forget the voice of Your enemies;
The tumult of those who rise up against You increases continually.
Thanksgiving for God’s Righteous Judgment
To the Chief Musician. Set to (BI)“Do[t] Not Destroy.” A Psalm of Asaph. A Song.
75 We give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks!
For Your wondrous works declare that Your name is near.
2 “When I choose the [u]proper time,
I will judge uprightly.
3 The earth and all its inhabitants are dissolved;
I set up its pillars firmly. Selah
4 “I said to the boastful, ‘Do not deal boastfully,’
And to the wicked, (BJ)‘Do not [v]lift up the horn.
5 Do not lift up your horn on high;
Do not speak with [w]a stiff neck.’ ”
6 For exaltation comes neither from the east
Nor from the west nor from the south.
7 But (BK)God is the Judge:
(BL)He puts down one,
And exalts another.
8 For (BM)in the hand of the Lord there is a cup,
And the wine is red;
It is fully mixed, and He pours it out;
Surely its dregs shall all the wicked of the earth
Drain and drink down.
9 But I will declare forever,
I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.
10 “All(BN) the [x]horns of the wicked I will also cut off,
But (BO)the horns of the righteous shall be (BP)exalted.”
The Majesty of God in Judgment
To the Chief Musician. On [y]stringed instruments. A Psalm of Asaph. A Song.
76 In (BQ)Judah God is known;
His name is great in Israel.
2 In [z]Salem also is His tabernacle,
And His dwelling place in Zion.
3 There He broke the arrows of the bow,
The shield and sword of battle. Selah
4 You are more glorious and excellent
(BR)Than the mountains of prey.
5 (BS)The stouthearted were plundered;
(BT)They [aa]have sunk into their sleep;
And none of the mighty men have found the use of their hands.
6 (BU)At Your rebuke, O God of Jacob,
Both the chariot and horse were cast into a dead sleep.
7 You, Yourself, are to be feared;
And (BV)who may stand in Your presence
When once You are angry?
8 (BW)You caused judgment to be heard from heaven;
(BX)The earth feared and was still,
9 When God (BY)arose to judgment,
To deliver all the oppressed of the earth. Selah
10 (BZ)Surely the wrath of man shall praise You;
With the remainder of wrath You shall gird Yourself.
11 (CA)Make vows to the Lord your God, and pay them;
(CB)Let all who are around Him bring presents to Him who ought to be feared.
12 He shall cut off the spirit of princes;
(CC)He is awesome to the kings of the earth.
The Consoling Memory of God’s Redemptive Works
To the Chief Musician. (CD)To Jeduthun. A Psalm of Asaph.
77 I cried out to God with my voice—
To God with my voice;
And He gave ear to me.
2 In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord;
My hand was stretched out in the night without ceasing;
My soul refused to be comforted.
3 I remembered God, and was troubled;
I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah
4 You hold my eyelids open;
I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
5 I have considered the days of old,
The years of ancient times.
6 I call to remembrance my song in the night;
I meditate within my heart,
And my spirit [ab]makes diligent search.
7 Will the Lord cast off forever?
And will He be favorable no more?
8 Has His mercy ceased forever?
Has His (CE)promise failed [ac]forevermore?
9 Has God forgotten to be gracious?
Has He in anger shut up His tender mercies? Selah
10 And I said, “This is my [ad]anguish;
But I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High.”
11 I will remember the works of the Lord;
Surely I will remember Your wonders of old.
12 I will also meditate on all Your work,
And talk of Your deeds.
13 Your way, O God, is in [ae]the (CF)sanctuary;
Who is so great a God as our God?
14 You are the God who does wonders;
You have declared Your strength among the peoples.
15 You have with Your arm redeemed Your people,
The sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah
16 The waters saw You, O God;
The waters saw You, they were (CG)afraid;
The depths also trembled.
17 The clouds poured out water;
The skies sent out a sound;
Your arrows also flashed about.
18 The voice of Your thunder was in the whirlwind;
The lightnings lit up the world;
The earth trembled and shook.
19 Your way was in the sea,
Your path in the great waters,
And Your footsteps were not known.
20 You led Your people like a flock
By the hand of Moses and Aaron.
Footnotes
- Psalm 72:4 crush
- Psalm 72:5 So with MT, Tg.; LXX, Vg. They shall continue
- Psalm 73:4 pains
- Psalm 73:7 Tg. face bulges; LXX, Syr., Vg. iniquity bulges
- Psalm 73:8 Proudly
- Psalm 73:13 kept my heart pure in vain
- Psalm 73:16 troublesome in my eyes
- Psalm 73:21 Lit. pierced in my kidneys
- Psalm 73:26 Lit. rock
- Psalm 73:27 Are unfaithful to You
- Psalm 74:1 Heb. Maschil
- Psalm 74:8 oppress
- Psalm 74:10 revile
- Psalm 74:13 sea monsters
- Psalm 74:14 A large sea creature of unknown identity
- Psalm 74:20 hiding places
- Psalm 74:20 homes
- Psalm 74:20 violence
- Psalm 74:22 reviles or taunts
- Psalm 75:1 Heb. Al Tashcheth
- Psalm 75:2 appointed
- Psalm 75:4 Raise the head proudly like a horned animal
- Psalm 75:5 Insolent pride
- Psalm 75:10 Strength
- Psalm 76:1 Heb. neginoth
- Psalm 76:2 Jerusalem
- Psalm 76:5 Lit. have slumbered their sleep
- Psalm 77:6 ponders diligently
- Psalm 77:8 Lit. unto generation and generation
- Psalm 77:10 Lit. infirmity
- Psalm 77:13 Or holiness
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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