Psalm 72
A Prayer for the King
1 Of Solomon.
I
2 O God, give your judgment to the king;
your justice to the king’s son;(A)
That he may govern your people with justice,
your oppressed with right judgment,(B)
3 That the mountains may yield their bounty for the people,
and the hills great abundance,(C)
4 That he may defend the oppressed among the people,
save the children of the poor and crush the oppressor.
II
5 May they fear you with the sun,
and before the moon, through all generations.(D)
6 May he be like rain coming down upon the fields,
like showers watering the earth,(E)
7 That abundance may flourish in his days,
great bounty, till the moon be no more.
III
8 May he rule from sea to sea,
from the river to the ends of the earth.(F)
9 May his foes kneel before him,
his enemies lick the dust.(G)
10 May the kings of Tarshish and the islands bring tribute,
the kings of Sheba and Seba offer gifts.(H)
11 May all kings bow before him,
all nations serve him.(I)
12 For he rescues the poor when they cry out,
the oppressed who have no one to help.
13 He shows pity to the needy and the poor(J)
and saves the lives of the poor.
14 From extortion and violence he redeems them,
for precious is their blood in his sight.
IV
15 Long may he live, receiving gold from Sheba,
prayed for without cease, blessed day by day.
16 May wheat abound in the land,
flourish even on the mountain heights.
May his fruit be like that of Lebanon,
and flourish in the city like the grasses of the land.(K)
17 May his name be forever;
as long as the sun, may his name endure.(L)
May the tribes of the earth give blessings with his name;
may all the nations regard him as favored.(M)
18 Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,
who alone does wonderful deeds.(N)
19 Blessed be his glorious name forever;
may he fill all the earth with his glory.(O)
Amen and amen.
20 The end of the psalms of David, son of Jesse.
Footnotes
- Psalm 72
- 72:2
- 72:8
- 72:10
- 72:14
- 72:16
- 72:17
- 72:18–19
Cross references
- 72:2 : Ps 99:4; Jer 23:5.
- 72:2 : Prv 31:8–9.
- 72:3 : Is 52:7; 55:12.
- 72:5 : Ps 89:37–38; Jer 31:35.
- 72:6 : Dt 32:2; Is 45:8; Hos 6:3.
- 72:8 : Dt 11:24; Zec 9:10.
- 72:9 : Is 49:23; Mi 7:17.
- 72:10 : Ps 68:30; Is 60:5–6; 1 Kgs 10:1ff.
- 72:11 : Ps 47:8.
- 72:13 : Prv 31:9.
- 72:16 : Is 27:6; Hos 14:6–8; Am 9:13.
- 72:17 : Ps 21:7.
- 72:17 : Gn 12:3; 22:18; 26:4; Zec 8:13.
- 72:18 : Ps 41:14; 89:53; 106:48; 136:4.
- 72:19 : Ps 57:5; Nm 14:21.
