Psalms 72:1-20

  • The peaceful rule of God’s king

    • “The righteous will flourish” (7)

    • Subjects from sea to sea (8)

    • Rescue from violence (14)

    • An abundance of grain on earth (16)

    • God’s name is praised forever (19)

Regarding Solomon. 72  O God, give your judgments to the king,And endow the son of the king with your righteousness.+  2  May he plead the cause of your people with righteousness,And of your lowly ones with justice.+  3  May the mountains bring peace to the people,And may the hills bring righteousness.  4  Let him defend* the lowly among the people,Let him save the sons of the poor,And let him crush the defrauder.+  5  They will fear you as long as there is a sunAnd as long as the moon remains,For generation after generation.+  6  He will be like the rain that falls on the mown grass,Like showers of rain that water the earth.+  7  In his days the righteous will flourish,*+And peace will abound+ until the moon is no more.  8  He will have subjects* from sea to seaAnd from the River* to the ends of the earth.+  9  The desert dwellers will bow down before him,And his enemies will lick the dust.+ 10  The kings of Tarʹshish and of the islands will pay tribute.+ The kings of Sheʹba and of Seʹba will present gifts.+ 11  All the kings will bow down before him,And all the nations will serve him. 12  For he will rescue the poor who cry for help,Also the lowly one and whoever has no helper. 13  He will have pity on the lowly and the poor,And the lives* of the poor he will save. 14  From oppression and from violence he will rescue them,*And their blood will be precious in his eyes. 15  May he live and be given the gold of Sheʹba.+ May prayers be said for him continually,And may he be blessed all day long. 16  There will be an abundance of grain on the earth;+On the top of the mountains it will overflow. His fruit will flourish as in Lebʹa·non,+And in the cities people will blossom like the vegetation of the earth.+ 17  May his name endure forever,+And may it prosper as long as the sun. May people obtain a blessing for themselves by means of him;+May all nations pronounce him happy. 18  May Jehovah God be praised, Israel’s God,+Who alone does wonderful things.+ 19  May his glorious name be praised forever,+And may his glory fill the whole earth.+ Amen and Amen. 20  This completes the prayers of David, the son of Jesʹse.+

Footnotes

Lit., “judge.”
Lit., “sprout.”
Or “will rule.”
That is, the Euphrates.
Or “souls.”
Or “redeem their souls.”