Psalm 72–73

Psalm 72

Of Solomon.

Endow the king with your justice,^a O God,

the royal son with your righteousness.

May he judge your people in righteousness,^b

your afflicted ones with justice.

May the mountains bring prosperity to the people,

the hills the fruit of righteousness.

May he defend the afflicted^c among the people

and save the children of the needy;^d

may he crush the oppressor.^e

May he endure^f as long as the sun,

as long as the moon, through all generations.^g

May he be like rain^h falling on a mown field,

like showers watering the earth.

In his days may the righteous flourishⁱ

and prosperity abound till the moon is no more.

May he rule from sea to sea

and from the River^j to the ends of the earth.^k

May the desert tribes bow before him

and his enemies lick the dust.

May the kings of Tarshish^l and of distant shores^m

bring tribute to him.

May the kings of Shebaⁿ and Seba

present him gifts.^o

May all kings bow down^p to him

and all nations serve^q him.

For he will deliver the needy who cry out,

the afflicted who have no one to help.

He will take pity^r on the weak and the needy

and save the needy from death.

He will rescue^s them from oppression and violence,

for precious^t is their blood in his sight.

Long may he live!

May gold from Sheba^u be given him.

May people ever pray for him

and bless him all day long.^v

May grain^w abound throughout the land;

on the tops of the hills may it sway.

May the crops^x flourish like Lebanon^y

and thrive like the grass of the field.^z

May his name endure forever;^a

may it continue as long as the sun.^b

Then all nations will be blessed through him,

and they will call him blessed.^c

Praise be to the Lord God, the God of Israel,^d

who alone does marvelous deeds.^e

Praise be to his glorious name^f forever;

may the whole earth be filled with his glory.^g

Amen and Amen.^h

This concludes the prayers of David son of Jesse.ⁱ

Book III

Psalm 73

A psalm of Asaph.

Surely God is good to Israel,

to those who are pure in heart.^a

But as for me, my feet had almost slipped;^b

I had nearly lost my foothold.^c

For I envied^d the arrogant

when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.^e

They have no struggles;

their bodies are healthy and strong.

They are free^f from common human burdens;

they are not plagued by human ills.

Therefore pride^g is their necklace;^h

they clothe themselves with violence.ⁱ

From their callous hearts^j comes iniquity;

the evil conceits of their minds know no limits.

They scoff, and speak with malice;^k

with arrogance^l they threaten oppression.^m

Their mouths lay claim to heaven,

and their tongues take possession of the earth.

Therefore their people turn to them

and drink up waters in abundance.

They say, “How would God know?

Does the Most High know anything?”

This is what the wicked are like—

always free of care,ⁿ they go on amassing wealth.^o

Surely in vain^p I have kept my heart pure

and have washed my hands in innocence.^q

All day long I have been afflicted,^r

and every morning brings new punishments.

If I had spoken out like that,

I would have betrayed your children.

When I tried to understand^s all this,

it troubled me deeply

till I entered the sanctuary^t of God;

then I understood their final destiny.^u

Surely you place them on slippery ground;^v

you cast them down to ruin.^w

How suddenly^x are they destroyed,

completely swept away^y by terrors!

They are like a dream^z when one awakes;^a

when you arise, Lord,

you will despise them as fantasies.^b

When my heart was grieved

and my spirit embittered,

I was senseless^c and ignorant;

I was a brute beast^d before you.

Yet I am always with you;

you hold me by my right hand.^e

You guide^f me with your counsel,^g

and afterward you will take me into glory.

Whom have I in heaven but you?^h

And earth has nothing I desire besides you.ⁱ

My flesh and my heart^j may fail,^k

but God is the strength^l of my heart

and my portion^m forever.

Those who are far from you will perish;ⁿ

you destroy all who are unfaithful^o to you.

But as for me, it is good to be near God.^p

I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge;^q

I will tell of all your deeds.^r