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Psalm 72

The Rule of the Righteous King

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By Solomon.

The King’s Justice

God, give your authority to judge to the King.
Give your righteousness to the Son of the King.
He will judge your people with righteousness.
He will judge your afflicted ones with justice.
The mountains will deliver peace to the people.
The hills will produce righteousness.
He will obtain justice for the afflicted among the people.
He will save the children of the poor,
but he will crush the oppressor.

The King’s Eternal Reign

They will fear you[a] as long as the sun remains,
and as long as the moon endures, through all generations.
He will come down like rain on a mown field,
like showers, like a downpour on the earth.
In his days the righteous will flourish,
and peace will be plentiful till the moon is no more.

The King’s Universal Reign

He will rule[b] from sea to sea
and from the River[c] to the ends of the earth.
Those who dwell in the desert will bow before him,
and his enemies will lick the dust.
10 The kings of Tarshish and of the sea coasts will bring tribute.
The kings of Sheba and Seba will offer him gifts.
11 All kings will bow down to him.
All nations will serve him.

The Blessings of His Rule

12 He will certainly deliver the poor person who cries out,
as well as the afflicted, and the one who has no helper.
13 He will take pity on the weak and the poor.
He will save the lives of the poor.
14 From oppression and violence he will redeem their lives,
because their blood is precious in his sight.

A Prayer for His Blessings

15 May the King live![d]
May gold from Sheba be offered to him.
May people always pray for him.
May they bless him all day long.
16 Let there be an abundance of grain in the land.
Let it wave on the top of the mountains.
Let its fruit trees be like the cedars of Lebanon.[e]
Let people from the city flourish like the grass of the land.
17 May his name endure forever.
May his name flourish as long as the sun.
They will be blessed through him.
All nations will call him blessed.

Closing Doxology

18 Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,
    who alone does marvelous deeds.
19 Blessed be his glorious name forever.
May the whole earth be filled with his glory.

Amen and Amen.

20 This ends the prayers of David son of Jesse.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 72:5 The translation follows the Hebrew. The Greek Old Testament reads he will endure.
  2. Psalm 72:8 Or may he rule. Hebrew verb forms in this section that are translated as prophecy could also be translated as prayer, for example, may he rule.
  3. Psalm 72:8 That is, the Euphrates River
  4. Psalm 72:15 The Hebrew has singular pronouns throughout. For clarity the implied nouns have been supplied in the translation.
  5. Psalm 72:16 Hebrew let its fruit be like Lebanon

Psalm 72

Of Solomon.

Endow the king with your justice,(A) O God,
    the royal son with your righteousness.
May he judge your people in righteousness,(B)
    your afflicted ones with justice.

May the mountains bring prosperity to the people,
    the hills the fruit of righteousness.
May he defend the afflicted(C) among the people
    and save the children of the needy;(D)
    may he crush the oppressor.(E)
May he endure[a](F) as long as the sun,
    as long as the moon, through all generations.(G)
May he be like rain(H) falling on a mown field,
    like showers watering the earth.
In his days may the righteous flourish(I)
    and prosperity abound till the moon is no more.

May he rule from sea to sea
    and from the River[b](J) to the ends of the earth.(K)
May the desert tribes bow before him
    and his enemies lick the dust.
10 May the kings of Tarshish(L) and of distant shores(M)
    bring tribute to him.
May the kings of Sheba(N) and Seba
    present him gifts.(O)
11 May all kings bow down(P) to him
    and all nations serve(Q) him.

12 For he will deliver the needy who cry out,
    the afflicted who have no one to help.
13 He will take pity(R) on the weak and the needy
    and save the needy from death.
14 He will rescue(S) them from oppression and violence,
    for precious(T) is their blood in his sight.

15 Long may he live!
    May gold from Sheba(U) be given him.
May people ever pray for him
    and bless him all day long.(V)
16 May grain(W) abound throughout the land;
    on the tops of the hills may it sway.
May the crops(X) flourish like Lebanon(Y)
    and thrive[c] like the grass of the field.(Z)
17 May his name endure forever;(AA)
    may it continue as long as the sun.(AB)

Then all nations will be blessed through him,[d]
    and they will call him blessed.(AC)

18 Praise be to the Lord God, the God of Israel,(AD)
    who alone does marvelous deeds.(AE)
19 Praise be to his glorious name(AF) forever;
    may the whole earth be filled with his glory.(AG)
Amen and Amen.(AH)

20 This concludes the prayers of David son of Jesse.(AI)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 72:5 Septuagint; Hebrew You will be feared
  2. Psalm 72:8 That is, the Euphrates
  3. Psalm 72:16 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text Lebanon, / from the city
  4. Psalm 72:17 Or will use his name in blessings (see Gen. 48:20)