Psalms 72

1 Of Solomon. Give the king your authority, O God, and your righteousness to the king's son.

Of Solomon. Give the king, O God, your own spirit of justice your spirit of right to the son of the king,

2 May he be a judge of your people in righteousness, and make true decisions for the poor.

that with right he may judge your people, and your downtrodden ones with justice.

3 May the mountains give peace to the people, and the hills righteousness.

May the mountains bear weal for the people, and the hills yield fruits of justice.

4 May he be a judge of the poor among the people, may he give salvation to the children of those who are in need; by him let the violent be crushed.

The weak may he help to their rights, may he save the sons of the needy and crush the oppressor in pieces.

5 May his life go on as long as the sun and moon, through all generations.

May he live as long as the sun, while the moon shines – for ages and ages.

6 May he come down like rain on the cut grass; like showers watering the earth.

May he be like the rain on the meadow, like showers that water the earth.

7 In his days may the upright do well, living in peace as long as there is a moon in heaven.

In his days may justice flourish, and welfare abound, till the moon be no more.

8 Let his kingdom be from sea to sea, from the River to the ends of the earth.

May he reign from ocean to ocean, from the river to the ends of the earth.

9 Let those who are against him go down before him; and let his haters be low in the dust.

May his foes bow down before him, his enemies lick the dust.

10 Let the kings of Tarshish and of the islands come back with offerings; let the kings of Sheba and Seba give of their stores.

May tribute be rendered by kings of the isles and of Tarshish; may gifts be brought by the kings of Sheba and Seba.

11 Yes, let all kings go down before him; let all nations be his servants.

May all kings fall prostrate before him, and all nations yield him their service.

12 For he will be a saviour to the poor in answer to his cry; and to him who is in need, without a helper.

For he saves the poor when he cries, the helpless and the downtrodden.

13 He will have pity on the poor, and be the saviour of those who are in need.

He pities the weak and the poor, he saves the lives of the poor.

14 He will keep their souls free from evil designs and violent attacks; and their blood will be of value in his eyes.

He redeems them from wrong and from violence, for dear is their blood in his sight.

15 May he have long life, and may gold from Sheba be given to him: may prayers be made for him at all times; may blessings be on him every day.

Long may he live; and may gold of Sheba be given him; prayer, too, be made for him ceaselessly, all the day long may men bless him.

16 May there be wide-stretching fields of grain in the land, shaking on the top of the mountains, full of fruit like Lebanon: may its stems be unnumbered like the grass of the earth.

May the land have abundance of corn, to the tops of the hills may it wave. May the fruit thereof flourish like Lebanon, may men spring from the city like grass of the earth.

17 May his name go on for ever, as long as the sun: may men be blessing themselves by him; may all nations be blessing his name.

May his name be blessed forever, may his fame endure as the sun. May all nations envy his blessedness, all tribes of the earth call him happy.

18 Praise be to the Lord God, the God of Israel, the only doer of wonders.

Blest be the Lord God, Israel’s God, who alone does wonders;

19 Praise to the glory of his noble name for ever; let all the earth be full of his glory. So be it, So be it.

And blest be forever his glorious name. Let all the earth be filled with his glory. Amen and Amen.

20 The prayers of David, the son of Jesse, are ended.

Here end the prayers of David, son of Jesse.