Psalm 72–73

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.

BOOK THREE

(Psalms 73–89)

Psalm 73

A psalm by Asaph. 

¹God is truly good to Israel, 

to those whose lives are pure. 

²But my feet had almost stumbled. 

They had almost slipped 

³because I was envious of arrogant people 

when I saw the prosperity that wicked people enjoy. 

⁴They suffer no pain. 

Their bodies are healthy. 

⁵They have no drudgery in their lives like ordinary people. 

They are not plagued ⸤with problems⸥ like others. 

⁶That is why they wear arrogance like a necklace 

and acts of violence like clothing. 

⁷Their eyes peer out from their fat faces, 

and their imaginations run wild. 

⁸They ridicule. 

They speak maliciously. 

They speak arrogantly about oppression. 

⁹They verbally attack heaven, 

and they order people around on earth. 

¹⁰That is why God’s people turn to wickedness 

and swallow their words. 

¹¹Then wicked people ask, “What does God know?” 

“Does the Most High know anything?” 

¹²Look how wicked they are! 

They never have a worry. 

They grow more and more wealthy. 

¹³I’ve received no reward for keeping my life pure 

and washing my hands of any blame. 

¹⁴I’m plagued ⸤with problems⸥ all day long, 

and every morning my punishment ⸤begins again⸥. 

¹⁵If I had said, “I will continue to talk like that,” 

I would have betrayed God’s people. 

¹⁶But when I tried to understand this, 

it was too difficult for me. 

¹⁷Only when I came into God’s holy place 

did I ⸤finally⸥ understand what would happen to them. 

¹⁸You put them in slippery places 

and make them fall into ruin. 

¹⁹They are suddenly destroyed. 

They are completely swept away by terror! 

²⁰As ⸤someone⸥ gets rid of a dream when he wakes up, 

so you, O Lord, get rid of the thought of them 

when you wake up. 

²¹When my heart was filled with bitterness 

and my mind was seized ⸤with envy⸥, 

²²I was stupid, and I did not understand. 

I was like a dumb animal in your presence. 

²³Yet, I am always with you. 

You hold on to my right hand. 

²⁴With your advice you guide me, 

and in the end you will take me to glory. 

²⁵As long as I have you, 

I don’t need anyone else in heaven or on earth. 

²⁶My body and mind may waste away, 

but God remains the foundation of my life 

and my inheritance forever. 

²⁷Without a doubt, those who are far from you will die. 

You destroy all who are unfaithful to you. 

²⁸Being united with God is my highest good. 

I have made the Almighty Lord my refuge 

so that I may report everything that he has done.