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By Solomon.

72 God, give the king your justice;
    your righteousness to the royal son.
He will judge your people with righteousness,
    and your poor with justice.
The mountains shall bring prosperity to the people.
    The hills bring the fruit of righteousness.
He will judge the poor of the people.
    He will save the children of the needy,
    and will break the oppressor in pieces.
They shall fear you while the sun endures;
    and as long as the moon, throughout all generations.
He will come down like rain on the mown grass,
    as showers that water the earth.
In his days, the righteous shall flourish,
    and abundance of peace, until the moon is no more.
He shall have dominion also from sea to sea,
    from the River to the ends of the earth.
Those who dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him.
    His enemies shall lick the dust.
10 The kings of Tarshish and of the islands will bring tribute.
    The kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts.
11 Yes, all kings shall fall down before him.
    All nations shall serve him.
12 For he will deliver the needy when he cries;
    the poor, who has no helper.
13 He will have pity on the poor and needy.
    He will save the souls of the needy.
14 He will redeem their soul from oppression and violence.
    Their blood will be precious in his sight.
15 They shall live, and to him shall be given of the gold of Sheba.
    Men shall pray for him continually.
    They shall bless him all day long.
16 Abundance of grain shall be throughout the land.
    Its fruit sways like Lebanon.
    Let it flourish, thriving like the grass of the field.
17 His name endures forever.
    His name continues as long as the sun.
Men shall be blessed by him.
    All nations will call him blessed.

18 Praise be to Yahweh God, the God of Israel,
    who alone does marvelous deeds.
19 Blessed be his glorious name forever!
    Let the whole earth be filled with his glory!
Amen and amen.

20 This ends the prayers by David, the son of Jesse.

Solomonic

A Prayer for the King

72 God, endow the king with ability to render[a] your justice,
    and the king’s son to render your right decisions.
May he rule your people with right decisions
    and your oppressed ones with justice.
May the mountains bring prosperity to the people
    and the hills bring righteousness.
May he defend the afflicted of the people
    and deliver the children of the poor,
        but crush the oppressor.

May they fear you as long as the sun and moon shine[b]
    from generation to generation.
May he be like the rain that descends on mown grass,
    like showers sprinkling on the ground.

The righteous will flourish at the proper time
    and peace will prevail until the moon is no more.
May he rule from sea to sea,
    from the Euphrates River[c] to the ends of the earth.
    May the nomads bow down before him,
    and his enemies lick the dust.
10 May the kings of Tarshish and of distant shores bring gifts,
    and may the kings of Sheba and Seba offer tribute.
11 May all kings bow down to him,
    and all nations serve him.

12 For he will deliver the needy when they cry out for help,
    and the poor when there is no deliverer.
13 He will have compassion on the poor and the needy,
    and he will save the lives of the needy.
14 He will redeem them[d] from oppression and violence,
    since their lives are[e] precious in his sight.

Prayer for the King

15 May he live long and be given gold from Sheba,
    and may prayer be offered for him continuously,
        and may he be blessed every day.
16 May grain be abundant in the land
    all the way[f] to the mountain tops;
may its fruits flourish
    like the forests of Lebanon,
and may the cities sprout
    like the grass of the earth.

Praising the God of Israel

17 May his fame[g] be eternal—
    as long as the sun—
may his name endure,
    and may they be blessed through him,
        and may all nations call him blessed.
18 Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,
    who alone does awesome deeds.
19 And blessed be his glorious name forever,
    and may the whole earth be filled with his glory.
        Amen and amen!

20 This ends the prayers of Jesse’s son David.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 72:1 The Heb. lacks to render
  2. Psalm 72:5 The Heb. lacks shine
  3. Psalm 72:8 The Heb. lacks Euphrates
  4. Psalm 72:14 Lit. redeem their souls
  5. Psalm 72:14 Lit. their blood is
  6. Psalm 72:16 The Heb. lacks all the way
  7. Psalm 72:17 Lit. name