Psalms 72

The reign of a righteous king

Endow the king with your justice, O God, the royal son with your righteousness. ²May he judge your people in righteousness, your afflicted ones with justice. ³May the mountains bring prosperity to the people, the hills the fruit of righteousness.

⁴May he defend the afflicted among the people and save the children of the needy; may he crush the oppressor. ⁵May he endure as long as the sun, as long as the moon, through all generations. ⁶May he be like rain falling on a mown field, like showers watering the earth.

⁷In his days may the righteous flourish and prosperity abound till the moon is no more.a ⁸May he rule from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth. ⁹May the desert tribes bow before him and his enemies lick the dust.

¹⁰May the kings of Tarshish and of distant shores bring tribute to him. May the kings of Sheba and Seba present him gifts.b ¹¹May all kings bow down to him and all nations serve him. ¹²For he will deliver the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no one to help.c

¹³He will take pity on the weak and the needy and save the needy from death. ¹⁴He will rescue them from oppression and violence, for precious is their blood in his sight.d ¹⁵Long may he live! May gold from Sheba be given him. May people ever pray for him and bless him all day long.

¹⁶May grain abound throughout the land; on the tops of the hills may it sway. May the crops flourish like Lebanon and thrive like the grass of the field.e ¹⁷May his name endure forever; may it continue as long as the sun. Then all nations will be blessed through him, and they will call him blessed.f ¹⁸Praise be to the Lord God, the God of Israel, who alone does marvelous deeds.g

¹⁹Praise be to his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen and Amen.h ²⁰This concludes the prayers of David son of Jesse.