Psalms 72

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

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

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

⁴May 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

¹⁵May 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.

¹⁶May 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.

¹⁷May 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.

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

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

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

Psalms 72

¹God, give the king your justice; your righteousness to the royal son.

²He will judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice.

³The mountains shall bring prosperity to the people. The hills bring the fruit of righteousness.

⁴He will judge the poor of the people. He will save the children of the needy, and will break the oppressor in pieces.

⁵They shall fear you while the sun endures; and as long as the moon, throughout all generations.

⁶He will come down like rain on the mown grass, as showers that water the earth.

⁷In his days, the righteous shall flourish, and abundance of peace, until the moon is no more.

⁸He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, from the River to the ends of the earth.

⁹Those who dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him. His enemies shall lick the dust.

¹⁰The kings of Tarshish and of the islands will bring tribute. The kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts.

¹¹Yes, all kings shall fall down before him. All nations shall serve him.

¹²For he will deliver the needy when he cries; the poor, who has no helper.

¹³He will have pity on the poor and needy. He will save the souls of the needy.

¹⁴He will redeem their soul from oppression and violence. Their blood will be precious in his sight.

¹⁵They 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.

¹⁶There shall be abundance of grain throughout the land. Its fruit sways like Lebanon. Let it flourish, thriving like the grass of the field.

¹⁷His name endures forever. His name continues as long as the sun. Men shall be blessed by him. All nations will call him blessed.

¹⁸Praise be to the Lord God, the God of Israel, who alone does marvelous deeds.

¹⁹Blessed be his glorious name forever! Let the whole earth be filled with his glory! Amen and amen.

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