Psalm 72-73

Contemporary English Version

^8 (A) Let his kingdom reach
    from sea to sea,
from the Euphrates River
    across all the earth.
⁹ Force the desert tribes
    to accept his rule,
and make his enemies
    crawl in the dirt.
¹⁰ Force the rulers of Tarshish^[b]
and of the islands
    to pay taxes to him.
Make the kings of Sheba
    and of Seba^[c] bring gifts.
¹¹ Make other rulers bow down
    and all nations serve him.

¹² Do this because the king
rescues the homeless
    when they cry out,
and he helps everyone
    who is poor and in need.
¹³ The king has pity
on the weak and the helpless
    and protects those in need.
¹⁴ He cares when they hurt,
and he saves them from cruel
    and violent deaths.

¹⁵ Long live the king!
    Give him gold from Sheba.
Always pray for the king
    and praise him each day.
¹⁶ Let cities overflow with food
and hills be covered with grain,
    just like Mount Lebanon.
Let the people in the cities
    prosper like wild flowers.
¹⁷ May the glory of the king
shine brightly forever
    like the sun in the sky.
Let him make nations prosper
    and learn to praise him.

¹⁸ Lord God of Israel,
we praise you.
    Only you can work miracles.
¹⁹ We will always praise
    your glorious name.
Let your glory be seen
everywhere on earth.
    Amen and amen.

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

⁶ Their pride is like a necklace,
and they commit sin more often
    than they dress themselves.
⁷ Their eyes bulge with fat,
and their minds are flooded
    with foolish thoughts.
⁸ They sneer and say cruel things,
and because of their pride,
    they make violent threats.
⁹ They dare to speak against God
    and to order others around.

¹⁰ God will bring his people back,
and they will drink the water
    he so freely gives.^[f]

¹¹ Only evil people would say,
“God Most High cannot
    know everything!”
¹² Yet all goes well for them,
    and they live in peace.
¹³ What good did it do me
to keep my thoughts pure
    and refuse to do wrong?
¹⁴ I am sick all day,
and I am punished
    each morning.
¹⁵ If I had said evil things,
I would not have been loyal
    to your people.

¹⁶ It was hard for me
    to understand all this!
¹⁷ Then I went to your temple,
    and there I understood
what will happen
    to my enemies.
¹⁸ You will make them stumble,
    never to get up again.
¹⁹ They will be terrified,
suddenly swept away
    and no longer there.
²⁰ They will disappear, Lord,
despised like a bad dream
    the morning after.

²¹ Once I was bitter
    and brokenhearted.
²² I was stupid and ignorant,
and I treated you
    as a wild animal would.
²³ But I never really left you,
    and you hold my right hand.
²⁴ Your advice has been my guide,
and later you will welcome me
    in glory.^[g]
25 In heaven I have only you,
and on this earth
    you are all I want.
²⁶ My body and mind may fail,
but you are my strength
    and my choice forever.

²⁷ All-Powerful Lord God,
those who stay far from you
    will be lost,
and you will destroy those
    who are unfaithful.
²⁸ It is good for me
    to be near you.
I choose you as my protector,
and I will tell about
    your wonderful deeds.