Psalms 72 – His Name Shall Endure Forever
A royal prayer for a king whose reign brings peace to all nations.
This entry in the Psalms overview is a royal prayer, likely for Solomon, asking that the king judge the poor with righteousness and rule from sea to sea, extending the hope for a lasting legacy raised at the end of Psalms 71.
<Of Solomon.> Give the king your authority, O God, and your righteousness to the king's son.
May he be a judge of your people in righteousness, and make true decisions for the poor.
May the mountains give peace to the people, and the hills righteousness.
May he be a judge of the poor among the people, may he give salvation to the children of those who are in need; by him let the violent be crushed.
May his life go on as long as the sun and moon, through all generations.
May he come down like rain on the cut grass; like showers watering the earth.
In his days may the upright do well, living in peace as long as there is a moon in heaven.
Let his kingdom be from sea to sea, from the River to the ends of the earth.
Let those who are against him go down before him; and let his haters be low in the dust.
Let the kings of Tarshish and of the islands come back with offerings; let the kings of Sheba and Seba give of their stores.
Yes, let all kings go down before him; let all nations be his servants.
For he will be a saviour to the poor in answer to his cry; and to him who is in need, without a helper.
He will have pity on the poor, and be the saviour of those who are in need.
He will keep their souls free from evil designs and violent attacks; and their blood will be of value in his eyes.
May he have long life, and may gold from Sheba be given to him: may prayers be made for him at all times; may blessings be on him every day.
May there be wide-stretching fields of grain in the land, shaking on the top of the mountains, full of fruit like Lebanon: may its stems be unnumbered like the grass of the earth.
May his name go on for ever, as long as the sun: may men be blessing themselves by him; may all nations be blessing his name.
Praise be to the Lord God, the God of Israel, the only doer of wonders.
Praise to the glory of his noble name for ever; let all the earth be full of his glory. So be it, So be it.
The prayers of David, the son of Jesse, are ended. <A Psalm. Of Asaph.>