Psalm 70–72

Psalm 70

A CALL FOR DELIVERANCE

For the choir director. Of David. To bring remembrance.j

1 God, hurry to rescue me.

Lord, hurry to help me!k

2 Let those who seek to kill me

be disgraced and confounded;

let those who wish me harm

be turned back and humiliated.

3 Let those who say, “Aha, aha!”

retreat because of their shame.l

4 Let all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you;

let those who love your salvation

continually say, “God is great!”m

5 I am oppressed and needy;

hurry to me, God.

You are my help and my deliverer;

Lord, do not delay.n

Psalm 71

GOD’S HELP IN OLD AGE

1 Lord, I seek refuge in you;

let me never be disgraced.o

2 In your justice, rescue and deliver me;

listen closely to me and save me.p

3 Be a rock of refuge for me,

where I can always go.

Give the command to save me,

for you are my rock and fortress.q

4 Deliver me, my God, from the power of the wicked,

from the grasp of the unjust and oppressive.r

5 For you are my hope, Lord God,

my confidence from my youth.s

6 I have leaned on you from birth;

you took me from my mother’s womb.t

My praise is always about you.u

7 I am like a miraculous sign to many,

and you are my strong refuge.v

8 My mouth is full of praise

and honor to you all day long.w

9 Don’t discard me in my old age.

As my strength fails, do not abandon me.x

10 For my enemies talk about me,

and those who spy on me plot together,y

11 saying, “God has abandoned him;

chase him and catch him,

for there is no one to rescue him.”z

12 God, do not be far from me;

my God, hurry to help me.aa

13 May my adversaries be disgraced and destroyed;

may those who intend to harm me

be covered with disgrace and humiliation.ab

14 But I will hope continually

and will praise you more and more.ac

15 My mouth will tell about your righteousness

and your salvation all day long,

though I cannot sum them up.ad

16 I come because of the mighty acts of the Lord God;

I will proclaim your righteousness, yours alone.ae

17 God, you have taught me from my youth,

and I still proclaim your wondrous works.af

18 Even while I am old and gray,

God, do not abandon me,ag

while I proclaim your power

to another generation,

your strength to all who are to come.a

19 Your righteousness reaches the heights, God,

you who have done great things;

God, who is like you?b

20 You caused me to experience

many troubles and misfortunes,c

but you will revive me again.d

You will bring me up again,

even from the depths of the earth.e

21 You will increase my honor

and comfort me once again.f

22 Therefore, I will praise you with a harp

for your faithfulness, my God;

I will sing to you with a lyre,

Holy One of Israel.g

23 My lips will shout for joy

when I sing praise to you

because you have redeemed me.h

24 Therefore, my tongue will proclaim

your righteousness all day long,

for those who intend to harm me

will be disgraced and confounded.i

Psalm 72

A PRAYER FOR THE KING

Of Solomon.j

1 God, give your justice to the king

and your righteousness to the king’s son.k

2 He will judge your people with righteousness

and your afflicted ones with justice.l

3 May the mountains bring well-being* to the people

and the hills, righteousness.m

4 May he vindicate the afflicted among the people,

help the poor,

and crush the oppressor.n

5 May they fear youB while the sun endures

and as long as the moon, throughout all generations.o

6 May the king be like rain that falls on the cut grass,

like spring showers that water the earth.p

7 May the righteousC flourish in his days

and well-being abound

until the moon is no more.q

8 May he rule from sea to sea

and from the Euphrates

to the ends of the earth.r

9 May desert tribes kneel before him

and his enemies lick the dust.s

10 May the kings of Tarshish

and the coasts and islands bring tribute,

the kings of Sheba and Seba offer gifts.t

11 Let all kings bow in homage to him,

all nations serve him.u

12 For he will rescue the poor who cry out

and the afflicted who have no helper.v

13 He will have pity on the poor and helpless

and save the lives of the poor.w

14 He will redeem them from oppression and violence,

for their lives areA preciousB in his sight.x

15 May he live long!

May gold from Sheba be given to him.

May prayer be offered for him continually,

and may he be blessed all day long.y

16 May there be plenty of grain in the land;

may it wave on the tops of the mountains.

May its crops be like Lebanon.

May people flourish in the cities

like the grass of the field.z

17 May his name endure forever;

as long as the sun shines,

may his fame increase.

May all nations be blessed by him

and call him blessed.aa

18 Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,

who alone does wonders.ab

19 Blessed be his glorious name forever;

the whole earth is filled with his glory.ac

Amen and amen.

20 The prayers of David son of Jesse are concluded.ad