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Psalm 72

A psalm of Solomon.

Give your love of justice to the king, O God,
    and righteousness to the king’s son.
Help him judge your people in the right way;
    let the poor always be treated fairly.
May the mountains yield prosperity for all,
    and may the hills be fruitful.
Help him to defend the poor,
    to rescue the children of the needy,
    and to crush their oppressors.
May they fear you[a] as long as the sun shines,
    as long as the moon remains in the sky.
    Yes, forever!

May the king’s rule be refreshing like spring rain on freshly cut grass,
    like the showers that water the earth.
May all the godly flourish during his reign.
    May there be abundant prosperity until the moon is no more.
May he reign from sea to sea,
    and from the Euphrates River[b] to the ends of the earth.
Desert nomads will bow before him;
    his enemies will fall before him in the dust.
10 The western kings of Tarshish and other distant lands
    will bring him tribute.
The eastern kings of Sheba and Seba
    will bring him gifts.
11 All kings will bow before him,
    and all nations will serve him.

12 He will rescue the poor when they cry to him;
    he will help the oppressed, who have no one to defend them.
13 He feels pity for the weak and the needy,
    and he will rescue them.
14 He will redeem them from oppression and violence,
    for their lives are precious to him.

15 Long live the king!
    May the gold of Sheba be given to him.
May the people always pray for him
    and bless him all day long.
16 May there be abundant grain throughout the land,
    flourishing even on the hilltops.
May the fruit trees flourish like the trees of Lebanon,
    and may the people thrive like grass in a field.
17 May the king’s name endure forever;
    may it continue as long as the sun shines.
May all nations be blessed through him
    and bring him praise.

18 Praise the Lord God, the God of Israel,
    who alone does such wonderful things.
19 Praise his glorious name forever!
    Let the whole earth be filled with his glory.
Amen and amen!

20 (This ends the prayers of David son of Jesse.)

Footnotes

  1. 72:5 Greek version reads May they endure.
  2. 72:8 Hebrew the river.

A Prayer for the King

Of Solomon.

72 God, give the king your good judgment
    and the king’s son your goodness.
Help him judge your people fairly.
    Help him decide what is right for the poor.
Let there be peace on the mountains
    and goodness on the hills.
Help him be fair to the poor.
    Help him save the needy
    and punish those who hurt them.

Help him live as long as the sun shines.
    Help him rule as long as the moon glows.
    Let him be king from now on!
Let him be like rain on the grass,
    like showers that water the earth.
Let goodness be plentiful while he lives.
    Let peace continue as long as there is a moon.

Let his kingdom go from sea to sea,
    and from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth.
Let the people of the desert bow down to him.
    And make his enemies lick the dust.
10 Let the kings of Tarshish and the faraway lands
    bring him gifts.
Let the kings of Sheba and Seba
    bring their presents to him.
11 Let all kings bow down to him.
    Let all nations serve him.

12 He will help the poor when they cry for help.
    He will help the needy when no one else will help them.
13 He will be kind to the weak and poor.
    He will save their lives.
14 He will save them from cruel people who try to hurt them.
    Their lives are precious to him.

15 Long live the king!
    Let him receive gold from Sheba.
Let people always pray for him.
    Let them bless him all day long.
16 Let the fields grow plenty of grain.
    Let the hills be covered with crops.
Let the land be as fertile as Lebanon.
    Let the cities grow like the grass in a field.
17 Let the king be famous forever.
    Let him be remembered as long as the sun shines.
Let the nations be blessed because of him.
    And may they all bless him.

18 Praise the Lord God, the God of Israel.
Only he does such miracles.
19 Praise his glorious name forever.
    Let his glory fill the whole world.

Amen and amen.

20 This ends the prayers of David son of Jesse.