Psalm 72–73

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)

Psalm 73

Plea for Relief from Oppressors

A Psalm of Asaph.

¹Truly God is good to Israel,

to those who are pure in heart.^*

²But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled;

my steps had nearly slipped.^*

³For I was envious of the arrogant;

I saw the prosperity of the wicked.^*

⁴For they have no pain;

their bodies are sound and sleek.

⁵They are not in trouble as others are;

they are not plagued like other people.^*

⁶Therefore pride is their necklace;

violence covers them like a garment.^*

⁷Their eyes swell out with fatness;

their hearts overflow with follies.^*

⁸They scoff and speak with malice;

loftily they threaten oppression.^*

⁹They set their mouths against heaven,

and their tongues range over the earth.

¹⁰Therefore the people turn and praise them^u

and find no fault in them.^v

¹¹And they say, “How can God know?

Is there knowledge in the Most High?”^*

¹²Such are the wicked;

always at ease, they increase in riches.^*

¹³All in vain I have kept my heart clean

and washed my hands in innocence.^*

¹⁴For all day long I have been plagued

and am punished every morning.^*

¹⁵If I had said, “I will talk on in this way,”

I would have been untrue to the circle of your children.

¹⁶But when I thought how to understand this,

it seemed to me a wearisome task,^*

¹⁷until I went into the sanctuary of God;

then I perceived their end.^*

¹⁸Truly you set them in slippery places;

you make them fall to ruin.^*

¹⁹How they are destroyed in a moment,

swept away utterly by terrors!^*

²⁰They are^w like a dream when one awakes;

on awaking you despise their phantoms.^*

²¹When my soul was embittered,

when I was pricked in heart,

²²I was stupid and ignorant;

I was like a brute beast toward you.^*

²³Nevertheless, I am continually with you;

you hold my right hand.

²⁴You guide me with your counsel,

and afterward you will receive me with honor.^x*

²⁵Whom have I in heaven but you?

And there is nothing on earth that I desire other than you.^*

²⁶My flesh and my heart may fail,

but God is the strength^y of my heart and my portion forever.^*

²⁷Indeed, those who are far from you will perish;

you put an end to those who are false to you.^*

²⁸But for me it is good to be near God;

I have made the Lord God my refuge,

to tell of all your works.^*