Psalm 71–72

Psalm 71

Prayer for Lifelong Protection and Help

¹In you, O Lord, I take refuge;

let me never be put to shame.^*

²In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me;

incline your ear to me and save me.^*

³Be to me a rock of refuge,

a strong fortress^o to save me,

for you are my rock and my fortress.^*

⁴Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked,

from the grasp of the unjust and cruel.^*

⁵For you, O Lord, are my hope,

my trust, O Lord, from my youth.^*

⁶From my birth I have leaned upon you,

my protector since my mother’s womb.^p

My praise is continually of you.^*

⁷I have been like a portent to many,

but you are my strong refuge.^*

⁸My mouth is filled with your praise

and with your glory all day long.^*

⁹Do not cast me off in the time of old age;

do not forsake me when my strength is spent.^*

¹⁰For my enemies speak concerning me,

and those who watch for my life consult together.^*

¹¹They say, “Pursue and seize that person

whom God has forsaken,

for there is no one to deliver.”^*

¹²O God, do not be far from me;

O my God, make haste to help me!^*

¹³Let my accusers be put to shame and consumed;

let those who seek to hurt me

be covered with scorn and disgrace.^*

¹⁴But I will hope continually

and will praise you yet more and more.

¹⁵My mouth will tell of your righteous acts,

of your deeds of salvation all day long,

though their number is past my knowledge.^*

¹⁶I will come praising the mighty deeds of the Lord God;

I will praise your righteousness, yours alone.^*

¹⁷O God, from my youth you have taught me,

and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.^*

¹⁸So even to old age and gray hairs,

O God, do not forsake me,

until I proclaim your might

to all the generations to come.^q

Your power^{* 19}and your righteousness, O God,

reach the high heavens.

You who have done great things,

O God, who is like you?^*

²⁰You who have made me see many troubles and calamities

will revive me again;

from the depths of the earth

you will bring me up again.^*

²¹You will increase my honor

and comfort me once again.

²²I will also praise you with the harp

for your faithfulness, O my God;

I will sing praises to you with the lyre,

O Holy One of Israel.^*

²³My lips will shout for joy

when I sing praises to you;

my soul also, which you have rescued.^*

²⁴All day long my tongue will talk of your righteous help,

for those who tried to do me harm

have been put to shame and disgraced.^*

Psalm 72

Prayer for Guidance and Support for the King

Of Solomon.

¹Give the king your justice, O God,

and your righteousness to a king’s son.^*

²May he judge your people with righteousness

and your poor with justice.^*

³May the mountains yield prosperity for the people,

and the hills, in righteousness.^*

⁴May he defend the cause of the poor of the people,

give deliverance to the needy,

and crush the oppressor.^*

⁵May he live^r while the sun endures

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

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

like showers that water the earth.^*

⁷In his days may righteousness flourish

and peace abound, until the moon is no more.^*

⁸May he have dominion from sea to sea

and from the River to the ends of the earth.^*

⁹May his foes^s bow down before him,

and his enemies lick the dust.^*

¹⁰May the kings of Tarshish and of the isles

render him tribute;

may the kings of Sheba and Seba

bring gifts.^*

¹¹May all kings fall down before him,

all nations give him service.

¹²For he delivers the needy when they call,

the poor and those who have no helper.^*

¹³He has pity on the weak and the needy

and saves the lives of the needy.

¹⁴From oppression and violence he redeems their life,

and precious is their blood in his sight.^*

¹⁵Long may he live!

May gold of Sheba be given to him.

May prayer be made for him continually

and blessings invoked for him all day long.^*

¹⁶May there be abundance of grain in the land;

may it wave on the tops of the mountains;

may its fruit be like Lebanon;

and may people blossom in the cities

like the grass of the field.^*

¹⁷May his name endure forever,

his fame continue as long as the sun.

May all nations be blessed in him;^t

may they pronounce him happy.^*

¹⁸Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,

who alone does wondrous things.^*

¹⁹Blessed be his glorious name forever;

may his glory fill the whole earth.

Amen and Amen.^*

²⁰The prayers of David son of Jesse are ended.

Book III

(Psalms 73–89)