72 A song by Shelomoh (Solomon).

72 Give the king your righteous decrees, God,

≈your righteousness to the king’s son.

2 May he judge your people fairly

≈and your poor with justice.

3 May the mountains produce peace for the people.

≈May the hills produce godliness.

4 May he vindicate the poor among the people.

≈May he save the children of the needy

and crush the oppressors.

5 May they honour you while the sun endures,

≈and as long as the moon lasts throughout all the generations.

6 May he come down like rain on the mown grass,

≈like showers that water the earth.

7 May godly people flourish throughout his days as king,

≈and may there be an abundance of peace till the moon is no more.

8 May he have dominion from sea to sea,

≈and from the Euphrates to the ends of the earth.

9 May those who live in the wilderness bow down before him.

≈May his enemies lick the dust.

10 May the kings of Tarshish and of the islands be forced to pay tribute.

≈May the kings of Sheba and Seba offer gifts.

11 Indeed, may all kings bow down to him.

≈May all nations serve him

12 because he helps any needy person who cries out

≈and the poor person who has no other helper.

13 He has pity on the poor and needy,

≈and he saves the lives of needy people.

14 He redeems their lives from oppression and violence.

≈Their life is precious to him.

15 May he live—may Sheba’s gold be given to him.

May people always pray for him.

≈May God bless him all day long.

16 May there be abundance of grain in the land—on the mountaintops may their crops wave.

May the fruit of it be like Lebanon.

May the people flourish in the cities like the grass across the land.

17 May his good reputation endure forever.

≈May his fame continue as long as the sun.

May people be blessed in him.

≈May all nations call him blessed.

18 May Yisrael’s God, Yahweh, be blessed.

He alone does wonderful things.

19 May his wonderful name be blessed forever,

and may the whole earth be filled with his splendour. May it be so.

20 This ends the prayers of Yesse’s son, David.