Psalm 72–83

Psalm 72

A Prayer for the King

Solomonic. ^q

¹God, give Your justice to the king

and Your righteousness to the king’s son. ^r

²He will judge Your people with righteousness

and Your afflicted ones with justice. ^s

³May the mountains bring prosperity ^tto the people

and the hills, righteousness. ^u

⁴May he vindicate the afflicted among the people,

help the poor,

and crush the oppressor. ^v

⁵May he continue ^wwhile the sun endures

and as long as the moon, throughout all generations. ^x

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

like spring showers that water the earth. ^y

⁷May the righteous ^zflourish in his days

and prosperity ^aabound

until the moon is no more. ^b

⁸May he rule from sea to sea

and from the Euphrates

to the ends of the earth. ^c

⁹May desert tribes kneel before him

and his enemies lick the dust. ^d

¹⁰May the kings of Tarshish

and the coasts and islands bring tribute,

the kings of Sheba and Seba offer gifts. ^e

¹¹Let all kings bow down to him,

all nations serve him. ^f

¹²For he will rescue the poor who cry out

and the afflicted who have no helper. ^g

¹³He will have pity on the poor and helpless

and save the lives of the poor. ^h

¹⁴He will redeem them from oppression and violence,

for their lives are ⁱprecious ^jin his sight. ^k

¹⁵May 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. ^l

¹⁶May 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. ^m

¹⁷May 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. ⁿ

¹⁸May the Lord God, the God of Israel,

who alone does wonders, be praised. ^o

¹⁹May His glorious name be praised forever;

the whole earth is filled with His glory. ^p

Amen and amen.

²⁰The prayers of David son of Jesse are concluded. ^q

BOOK III

(Psalms 73–89)

Psalm 73

God’s Ways Vindicated

A psalm of Asaph. ^r

¹God is indeed good to Israel,

to the pure in heart. ^s

²But as for me, my feet almost slipped;

my steps nearly went astray. ^t

³For I envied the arrogant;

I saw the prosperity of the wicked. ^u

⁴They have an easy time until they die, ^v

and their bodies are well fed. ^wx

⁵They are not in trouble like others;

they are not afflicted like most people. ^y

⁶Therefore, pride is their necklace,

and violence covers them like a garment. ^z

⁷Their eyes bulge out from fatness;

the imaginations of their hearts run wild. ^a

⁸They mock, and they speak maliciously;

they arrogantly threaten oppression. ^b

⁹They set their mouths against heaven,

and their tongues strut across the earth. ^c

¹⁰Therefore His people turn to them ^d

and drink in their overflowing words. ^ef

¹¹The wicked say, “How can God know?

Does the Most High know everything?” ^g

¹²Look at them—the wicked!

They are always at ease,

and they increase their wealth. ^h

¹³Did I purify my heart

and wash my hands in innocence for nothing? ⁱ

¹⁴For I am afflicted all day long

and punished every morning. ^j

¹⁵If I had decided to say these things aloud,

I would have betrayed Your people. ^kl

¹⁶When I tried to understand all this,

it seemed hopeless ^mn

¹⁷until I entered God’s sanctuary.

Then I understood their destiny. ^o

¹⁸Indeed, You put them in slippery places;

You make them fall into ruin. ^p

¹⁹How suddenly they become a desolation!

They come to an end, swept away by terrors. ^q

²⁰Like one waking from a dream,

Lord, when arising, You will despise their image. ^r

²¹When I became embittered

and my innermost being ^swas wounded, ^t

²²I was stupid and didn’t understand;

I was an unthinking animal toward You. ^u

²³Yet I am always with You;

You hold my right hand. ^v

²⁴You guide me with Your counsel,

and afterward You will take me up in glory. ^wx

²⁵Who do I have in heaven but You?

And I desire nothing on earth but You. ^y

²⁶My flesh and my heart may fail,

but God is the strength ^zof my heart,

my portion forever. ^a

²⁷Those far from You will certainly perish;

You destroy all who are unfaithful to You. ^b

²⁸But as for me, God’s presence is my good.

I have made the Lord God my refuge,

so I can tell about all You do. ^c

Psalm 74

Prayer for Israel

A Maskil of Asaph. ^d

¹Why have You rejected us forever, God?

Why does Your anger burn

against the sheep of Your pasture? ^e

²Remember Your congregation,

which You purchased long ago

and redeemed as the tribe for Your own possession. ^f

Remember Mount Zion where You dwell. ^g

³Make Your way ^hto the everlasting ruins,

to all that the enemy has destroyed in the sanctuary. ⁱ

⁴Your adversaries roared in the meeting place

where You met with us. ^j

They set up their emblems as signs. ^k

⁵It was like men in a thicket of trees,

wielding axes, ^l

⁶then smashing all the carvings

with hatchets and picks. ^m

⁷They set Your sanctuary on fire;

they utterly ⁿdesecrated

the dwelling place of Your name. ^o

⁸They said in their hearts,

“Let us oppress them relentlessly.”

They burned down every place throughout the land

where God met with us. ^pq

⁹There are no signs for us to see.

There is no longer a prophet.

And none of us knows how long this will last. ^r

¹⁰God, how long will the enemy mock?

Will the foe insult Your name forever? ^s

¹¹Why do You hold back Your hand?

Stretch out ^tYour right hand and destroy them! ^u

¹²God my King is from ancient times,

performing saving acts on the earth. ^v

¹³You divided the sea with Your strength;

You smashed the heads of the sea monsters in the waters; ^w

¹⁴You crushed the heads of Leviathan;

You fed him to the creatures of the desert. ^x

¹⁵You opened up springs and streams; ^y

You dried up ever-flowing rivers. ^z

¹⁶The day is Yours, also the night;

You established the moon and the sun. ^a

¹⁷You set all the boundaries of the earth;

You made summer and winter. ^b

¹⁸Remember this: the enemy has mocked Yahweh,

and a foolish people has insulted Your name. ^c

¹⁹Do not give the life of Your dove to beasts; ^d

do not forget the lives of Your poor people forever. ^e

²⁰Consider the covenant, ^f

for the dark places of the land are full of violence. ^g

²¹Do not let the oppressed turn away in shame;

let the poor and needy praise Your name. ^h

²²Rise up, God, defend Your cause! ⁱ

Remember the insults

that fools bring against You all day long. ^j

²³Do not forget the clamor of Your adversaries,

the tumult of Your opponents that goes up constantly. ^k

Psalm 75

God Judges the Wicked

For the choir director: “Do Not Destroy.” ^lA psalm of Asaph. ^mA song.

¹We give thanks to You, God;

we give thanks to You, for Your name is near.

People tell about Your wonderful works. ⁿ

²“When I choose a time,

I will judge fairly. ^o

³When the earth and all its inhabitants shake,

I am the One who steadies its pillars. ^pSelah

⁴I say to the boastful, ‘Do not boast,’

and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horn. ^q

⁵Do not lift up your horn against heaven

or speak arrogantly.’ ” ^r

⁶Exaltation does not come

from the east, the west, or the desert,

⁷for God is the Judge:

He brings down one and exalts another. ^s

⁸For there is a cup in the Lord’s hand,

full of wine blended with spices, and He pours from it.

All the wicked of the earth will drink,

draining it to the dregs. ^t

⁹As for me, I will tell about Him forever;

I will sing praise to the God of Jacob. ^u

¹⁰“I will cut off all the horns of the wicked, ^v

but the horns of the righteous will be lifted up.” ^w

Psalm 76

God, the Powerful Judge

For the choir director: with stringed instruments. A psalm of Asaph. ^xA song.

¹God is known in Judah;

His name is great in Israel. ^y

²His tent is in Salem, ^z

His dwelling place in Zion. ^a

³There He shatters the bow’s flaming arrows,

the shield, the sword, and the weapons of war. ^bSelah

⁴You are resplendent and majestic

coming down from the mountains of prey. ^c

⁵The brave-hearted have been plundered;

they have slipped into their final sleep.

None of the warriors was able to lift a hand. ^d

⁶At Your rebuke, God of Jacob,

both chariot and horse lay still. ^e

⁷And You—You are to be feared. ^f

When You are angry,

who can stand before You? ^g

⁸From heaven You pronounced judgment.

The earth feared and grew quiet ^h

⁹when God rose up to judge

and to save all the lowly of the earth. ⁱSelah

¹⁰Even human wrath will praise You;

You will clothe Yourself

with their remaining wrath. ^jk

¹¹Make and keep your vows

to the Lord your God; ^l

let all who are around Him bring tribute

to the awe-inspiring One. ^mn

¹²He humbles the spirit of leaders;

He is feared by the kings of the earth. ^o

Psalm 77

Confidence in a Time of Crisis

For the choir director: according to Jeduthun. Of Asaph. ^pA psalm.

¹I cry aloud to God,

aloud to God, and He will hear me. ^q

²I sought the Lord in my day of trouble.

My hands were continually lifted up

all night long;

I refused to be comforted. ^r

³I think of God; I groan;

I meditate; my spirit becomes weak. ^sSelah

⁴You have kept me from closing my eyes;

I am troubled and cannot speak. ^t

⁵I consider days of old,

years long past. ^u

⁶At night I remember my music;

I meditate in my heart, and my spirit ponders. ^v

⁷“Will the Lord reject forever

and never again show favor? ^w

⁸Has His faithful love ceased forever?

Is His promise at an end for all generations? ^x

⁹Has God forgotten to be gracious?

Has He in anger withheld His compassion?” ^ySelah

¹⁰So I say, “I am grieved ^z

that the right hand of the Most High has changed.” ^a

¹¹I will remember the Lord’s works;

yes, I will remember Your ancient wonders. ^b

¹²I will reflect on all You have done

and meditate on Your actions. ^c

¹³God, Your way is holy.

What god is great like God? ^d

¹⁴You are the God who works wonders;

You revealed Your strength among the peoples. ^e

¹⁵With power You redeemed Your people,

the descendants of Jacob and Joseph. ^fSelah

¹⁶The waters saw You, God.

The waters saw You; they trembled.

Even the depths shook. ^g

¹⁷The clouds poured down water.

The storm clouds thundered;

Your arrows flashed back and forth. ^h

¹⁸The sound of Your thunder was in the whirlwind;

lightning lit up the world. ⁱ

The earth shook and quaked. ^j

¹⁹Your way went…