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To Solomon.[a]

72 God, help the king be like you and make fair decisions.
    Help the king’s son know what justice is.
Help the king judge your people fairly.
    Help him make wise decisions for your poor people.
Let there be peace and justice throughout the land,
    known on every mountain and hill.
May the king be fair to the poor.
    May he help the helpless and punish those who hurt them.
May people always fear and respect you, God,
    as long as the sun shines and the moon is in the sky.
Help the king be like rain falling on the fields,
    like showers falling on the land.
Let goodness grow everywhere while he is king.
    Let peace continue as long as there is a moon.
Let his kingdom grow from sea to sea,
    from the Euphrates River to the faraway places on earth.[b]
May all the people living in the desert bow down to him.
    May all his enemies bow before him with their faces in the dirt.
10 May the kings of Tarshish and all the faraway lands by the sea bring gifts to him.
    May the kings of Sheba and Seba bring their tribute to him.
11 May all kings bow down to our king.
    May all nations serve him.
12 Our king helps the poor who cry out to him—
    those in need who have no one to help them.
13 He feels sorry for all who are weak and poor.
    He protects their lives.
14 He saves them from the cruel people who try to hurt them.
    Their lives are important to him.
15 Long live the king!
    Let him receive gold from Sheba.
Always pray for the king.
    Ask God to bless him every day.
16 May the fields grow plenty of grain
    and the hills be covered with crops.
May the fields be as fertile as Lebanon,
    and may people fill the cities as grass covers a field.
17 May the king be famous forever.
    May people remember his name as long as the sun shines.
May all nations be blessed through him,
    and may they all bless him.

18 Praise the Lord God, the God of Israel!
    Only he can do such amazing things.
19 Praise his glorious name forever!
    Let his glory fill the whole world.
Amen and Amen!

20 (This ends the prayers of David son of Jesse.)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 72:1 Psalm 72 To Solomon This might mean that this song was written by Solomon or dedicated to him, or that it is from some special collection of songs.
  2. Psalm 72:8 faraway places on earth This usually means the countries around the Mediterranean Sea.

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)