Psalm 71–72

Psalm 71

¹I have taken refuge in you, O Lord. 

Never let me be put to shame. 

²Rescue me and free me because of your righteousness. 

Turn your ear toward me, and save me. 

³Be a rock on which I may live, 

a place where I may always go. 

You gave the order to save me! 

Indeed, you are my rock and my fortress. 

⁴My God, free me from the hands of a wicked person, 

from the grasp of one who is cruel and unjust. 

⁵You are my hope, O Almighty Lord. 

You have been my confidence ever since I was young. 

⁶I depended on you before I was born. 

You took me from my mother’s womb. 

My songs of praise constantly speak about you. 

⁷I have become an example to many people, 

but you are my strong refuge. 

⁸My mouth is filled with your praise, 

with your glory all day long. 

⁹Do not reject me when I am old 

or abandon me when I lose my strength. 

¹⁰My enemies talk about me. 

They watch me as they plot to take my life. 

¹¹They say, “God has abandoned him. 

Pursue him and grab him because there is no one to rescue him.” 

¹²O God, do not be so distant from me. 

O my God, come quickly to help me. 

¹³Let those who accuse me come to a shameful end. 

Let those who want my downfall be covered 

with disgrace and humiliation. 

¹⁴But I will always have hope. 

I will praise you more and more. 

¹⁵My mouth will tell about your righteousness, 

about your salvation all day long. 

Even then, it is more than I can understand. 

¹⁶I will come with the mighty deeds of the Almighty Lord. 

I will praise your righteousness, yours alone. 

¹⁷O God, you have taught me ever since I was young, 

and I still talk about the miracles you have done. 

¹⁸Even when I am old and gray, do not abandon me, O God. 

Let me live to tell the people of this age 

what your strength has accomplished, 

to tell about your power to all who will come. 

¹⁹Your righteousness reaches to the heavens, O God. 

You have done great things. 

O God, who is like you? 

²⁰You have made me endure many terrible troubles. 

You restore me to life again. 

You bring me back from the depths of the earth. 

²¹You comfort me and make me greater than ever. 

²²Because of your faithfulness, O my God, 

even I will give thanks to you as I play on a lyre. 

I will make music with a harp to praise you, O Holy One of Israel. 

²³My lips will sing with joy when I make music to praise you. 

My soul, which you have rescued, also will sing joyfully. 

²⁴My tongue will tell about your righteousness all day long, 

because those who wanted my downfall 

have been disgraced and put to shame. 

Psalm 72

By Solomon. 

¹O God, give the king your justice 

and the king’s son^ayour righteousness 

²so that he may judge your people with righteousness 

and your oppressed ⸤people⸥ with justice. 

³May the mountains bring peace to the people 

and the hills bring righteousness. 

⁴May he grant justice to the people who are oppressed. 

May he save the children of needy people 

and crush their oppressor. 

⁵May they fear you as long as the sun and moon ⸤shine⸥— 

throughout every generation. 

⁶May he be like rain that falls on ⸤freshly⸥ cut grass, 

like showers that water the land. 

⁷May righteous people blossom in his day. 

May there be unlimited peace until the moon no longer ⸤shines⸥. 

⁸May he rule from sea to sea, 

from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth. 

⁹May the people of the desert kneel in front of him. 

May his enemies lick the dust. 

¹⁰May the kings from Tarshish and the islands bring presents. 

May the kings from Sheba and Seba bring gifts. 

¹¹May all kings worship him. 

May all nations serve him. 

¹²He will rescue the needy person who cries for help 

and the oppressed person who has no one’s help. 

¹³He will have pity on the poor and needy 

and will save the lives of the needy. 

¹⁴He will rescue them from oppression and violence. 

Their blood will be precious in his sight. 

¹⁵May he live long. 

May the gold from Sheba be given to him. 

May ⸤the people⸥ pray for him continually. 

May ⸤they⸥ praise him all day long. 

¹⁶May there be plenty of grain in the land. 

May it wave ⸤in the breeze⸥ on the mountain tops, 

its fruit like ⸤the treetops of⸥ Lebanon. 

May those from the city flourish like the grass on the ground. 

¹⁷May his name endure forever. 

May his name continue as long as the sun ⸤shines⸥. 

May all nations be blessed through him and call him blessed. 

¹⁸Thank the Lord God, the God of Israel, 

who alone does miracles. 

¹⁹Thanks be to his glorious name forever. 

May the whole earth be filled with his glory. 

Amen and amen!

²⁰The prayers by David, son of Jesse, end here.