Psalm 71–72

An Old Person’s Prayer

71In you, Lord, is my protection.

Never let me be ashamed.

²Because you do what is right, save and rescue me;

listen to me and save me.

³Be my place of safety

where I can always come.

Give the command to save me,

because you are my rock and my strong, walled city.

⁴My God, save me from the power of the wicked

and from the hold of evil and cruel people.

⁵Lord, you are my hope.

Lord, I have trusted you since I was young.

⁶I have depended on you since I was born;

you helped me even on the day of my birth.

I will always praise you.

⁷I am an example to many people,

because you are my strong protection.

⁸I am always praising you;

all day long I honor you.

⁹Do not reject me when I am old;

do not leave me when my strength is gone.

¹⁰My enemies make plans against me,

and they meet together to kill me.

¹¹They say, “God has left him.

Go after him and take him,

because no one will save him.”

¹²God, don’t be far off.

My God, hurry to help me.

¹³Let those who accuse me

be ashamed and destroyed.

Let those who are trying to hurt me

be covered with shame and disgrace.

¹⁴But I will always have hope

and will praise you more and more.

¹⁵I will tell how you do what is right.

I will tell about your salvation all day long,

even though it is more than I can tell.

¹⁶I will come and tell about your powerful works, Lord God.

I will remind people that only you do what is right.

¹⁷God, you have taught me since I was young.

To this day I tell about the miracles you do.

¹⁸Even though I am old and gray,

do not leave me, God.

I will tell the children about your power;

I will tell those who live after me about your might.

¹⁹God, your justice reaches to the skies.

You have done great things;

God, there is no one like you.

²⁰You have given me many troubles and bad times,

but you will give me life again.

When I am almost dead,

you will keep me alive.

²¹You will make me greater than ever,

and you will comfort me again.

²²I will praise you with the harp.

I trust you, my God.

I will sing to you with the lyre,

Holy One of Israel.

²³I will shout for joy when I sing praises to you.

You have saved me.

²⁴I will tell about your justice all day long.

And those who want to hurt me

will be ashamed and disgraced.

A Prayer for the King

Of Solomon.

72God, give the king your good judgment

and the king’s son your goodness.

²Help him judge your people fairly

and decide what is right for the poor.

³Let there be peace on the mountains

and goodness on the hills for the people.

⁴Help him be fair to the poor

and save the needy

and punish those who hurt them.

⁵May they respect you as long as the sun shines

and as long as the moon glows.

⁶Let him be like rain on the grass,

like showers that water the earth.

⁷Let goodness be plentiful while he lives.

Let peace continue as long as there is a moon.

⁸Let his kingdom go from sea to sea,

and from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth.

⁹Let the people of the desert bow down to him,

and make his enemies lick the dust.

¹⁰Let the kings of Tarshish and the faraway lands

bring him gifts.

Let the kings of Sheba and Seba

bring their presents to him.

¹¹Let all kings bow down to him

and all nations serve him.

¹²He will help the poor when they cry out

and will save the needy when no one else will help.

¹³He will be kind to the weak and poor,

and he will save their lives.

¹⁴He will save them from cruel people who try to hurt them,

because their lives are precious to him.

¹⁵Long live the king!

Let him receive gold from Sheba.

Let people always pray for him

and bless him all day long.

¹⁶Let the fields grow plenty of grain

and the hills be covered with crops.

Let the land be as fertile as Lebanon,

and let the cities grow like the grass in a field.

¹⁷Let the king be famous forever;

let him be remembered as long as the sun shines.

Let the nations be blessed because of him,

and may they all bless him.

¹⁸Praise the Lord God, the God of Israel,

who alone does such miracles.

¹⁹Praise his glorious name forever.

Let his glory fill the whole world.

Amen and amen.

²⁰This ends the prayers of David son of Jesse.