Psalms 72
72
A Prayer for the King
1Of Solomon.
I
2O God, give your judgment to the king;
your justice to the king’s son;#The king…the king’s son: the crown prince is the king’s son; the prayer envisages the dynasty. #Ps 99:4; Jer 23:5.
That he may govern your people with justice,
your oppressed with right judgment,#Prv 31:8–9.
3That the mountains may yield their bounty for the people,
and the hills great abundance,#Is 52:7; 55:12.
4That he may defend the oppressed among the people,
save the children of the poor and crush the oppressor.
II
5May they fear you with the sun,
and before the moon, through all generations.#Ps 89:37–38; Jer 31:35.
6May he be like rain coming down upon the fields,
like showers watering the earth,#Dt 32:2; Is 45:8; Hos 6:3.
7That abundance may flourish in his days,
great bounty, till the moon be no more.
III
8#From sea to sea…the ends of the earth: the boundaries of the civilized world known at the time: from the Mediterranean Sea (the western sea) to the Persian Gulf (the eastern sea), and from the Euphrates (the river) to the islands and lands of southwestern Europe, “the ends of the earth.” The words may also have a mythic nuance—the earth surrounded by cosmic waters, hence everywhere.May he rule from sea to sea,
from the river to the ends of the earth.#Dt 11:24; Zec 9:10.
9May his foes kneel before him,
his enemies lick the dust.#Is 49:23; Mi 7:17.
10May the kings of Tarshish and the islands#Tarshish and the islands: the far west (Ps 48:6); Arabia and Seba: the far south (1 Kgs 10:1). bring tribute,
the kings of Sheba and Seba offer gifts.#Ps 68:30; Is 60:5–6; 1 Kgs 10:1ff.
11May all kings bow before him,
all nations serve him.#Ps 47:8.
12For he rescues the poor when they cry out,
the oppressed who have no one to help.
13He shows pity to the needy and the poor#Prv 31:9.
and saves the lives of the poor.
14From extortion and violence he redeems them,
for precious is their blood#Their blood: cf. Ps 116:15. in his sight.
IV
15Long may he live, receiving gold from Sheba,
prayed for without cease, blessed day by day.
16#The translation of the difficult Hebrew is tentative.May wheat abound in the land,
flourish even on the mountain heights.
May his fruit be like that of Lebanon,
and flourish in the city like the grasses of the land.#Is 27:6; Hos 14:6–8; Am 9:13.
17May his name be forever;
as long as the sun, may his name endure.#Ps 21:7.
May the tribes of the earth give blessings with his name;#May the tribes of the earth give blessings with his name: an echo of the promise to the ancestors (Gn 12:3; 26:4; 28:14), suggesting that the monarchy in Israel fulfilled the promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
may all the nations regard him as favored.#Gn 12:3; 22:18; 26:4; Zec 8:13.
18#A doxology marking the end of Book II of the Psalter.Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,
who alone does wonderful deeds.#Ps 41:14; 89:53; 106:48; 136:4.
19Blessed be his glorious name forever;
may he fill all the earth with his glory.#Ps 57:5; Nm 14:21.
Amen and amen.
20The end of the psalms of David, son of Jesse.
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Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc
Psalms 72
72
(By Solomon.)
A Prayer for God To Guide and Help the King
1Please help the king
to be honest and fair
just like you, our God.
2Let him be honest and fair
with all your people,
especially the poor.
3Let peace and justice rule
every mountain and hill.
4Let the king defend the poor,
rescue the homeless, and crush
everyone who hurts them.
5Let the king live#72.5 Let the king live: One ancient translation; Hebrew “Let them worship you.” forever
like the sun and the moon.
6Let him be as helpful as rain
that refreshes the meadows
and the ground.
7Let the king be fair
with everyone,
and let there be peace
until the moon
falls from the sky.
8 #
Zec 9.10; Si 44.21. Let his kingdom reach
from sea to sea,
from the Euphrates River
across all the earth.
9Force the desert tribes
to accept his rule,
and make his enemies
crawl in the dirt.
10Force the rulers of Tarshish#72.10 Tarshish: Possibly a city in Spain.
and of the islands
to pay taxes to him.
Make the kings of Sheba
and of Seba#72.10 Sheba … Seba: Sheba may have been a place in what is now southwest Arabia, and Seba may have been in southern Arabia. bring gifts.
11Make other rulers bow down
and all nations serve him.
12Do this because the king
rescues the homeless
when they cry out,
and he helps everyone
who is poor and in need.
13The king has pity
on the weak and the helpless
and protects those in need.
14He cares when they hurt,
and he saves them from cruel
and violent deaths.
15Long live the king!
Give him gold from Sheba.
Always pray for the king
and praise him each day.
16Let cities overflow with food
and hills be covered with grain,
just like Mount Lebanon.
Let the people in the cities
prosper like wild flowers.
17May the glory of the king
shine brightly forever
like the sun in the sky.
Let him make nations prosper
and learn to praise him.
18 Lord God of Israel,
we praise you.
Only you can work miracles.
19We will always praise
your glorious name.
Let your glory be seen
everywhere on earth.
Amen and amen.
20This ends the prayers
of David, the son of Jesse.
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
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