Psalms 72

1 A psalm of Solomon. Give the king your righteous decrees, God, your righteousness to the king's son.

A psalm written by Solomon. O God, enable [me, ] the king [whom you appointed in Israel], to rule justly. Show/Teach me how to judge matters fairly

2 May he judge your people with righteousness and your poor with justice.

in order that I will judge your people fairly, that I will govern your oppressed people justly.

3 May the mountains produce peace for the people; may the hills produce righteousness.

I desire that [all over the country—even] on the hills and mountains [DOU]— people will live peacefully and righteously.

4 May he judge the poor of the people; may he save the children of the needy and break in pieces the oppressor.

Help [me], your king, to defend the poor people and to rescue needy people and to defeat those who oppress them.

5 May they honor you while the sun endures, and as long as the moon lasts throughout all generations.

I desire that your people will revere you as long as the moon shines, [forever].

6 May he come down like rain on the mown grass, like showers that water the earth.

I desire that my rule will [be enjoyed by the people] [SIM] like [they enjoy] rain on growing crops, like [they enjoy] showers that fall on the land.

7 May the righteous flourish in his days, and may there be an abundance of peace till the moon is no more.

I hope/desire that people will live righteously during the years that I rule, and that my people will live peacefully and prosperously as long as the moon shines.

8 May he have dominion from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.

I hope/desire that the kings [of Israel] will rule [the people] in all the area from one sea [in the east] to another [in the west], and from the [Euphrates] River to the most remote/distant places on earth.

9 May those who live in the wilderness bow down before him; may his enemies lick the dust.

I hope/desire that those who live in the desert will bow down before them, and that their enemies will throw themselves on the ground [in submission] to them.

10 May the kings of Tarshish and of the islands render tribute; may the kings of Sheba and Seba offer gifts.

I hope/desire that the kings of Spain and of the islands [in the Mediterranean Sea] will bring (tribute money/taxes) to the kings [of Israel], and that the kings of Sheba [to the south] and of Seba [to the southwest] will bring them gifts.

11 Indeed, may all kings fall down before him; may all nations serve him.

I hope/desire that all the [other] kings [in the world] will bow before the kings [of Israel], and that [people of] all nations will serve them.

12 For he helps the needy person who cries out and the poor person who has no other helper.

They will rescue poor people when they (cry out/plead) for help, and help those who are needy and those who have no one to help them.

13 He has pity on the poor and needy, and he saves the lives of needy people.

They will pity those who are weak and needy; he saves the people’s lives.

14 He redeems their lives from oppression and violence, and their blood is precious in his sight.

Our kings will rescue the people from being oppressed and from being treated cruelly, [because] (their lives/they) [MTY] are precious to our kings.

15 May he live! May the gold of Sheba be given to him. May people always pray for him; may God bless him all day long.

I hope/desire that our kings will live a long time! I hope/desire that they will be given gold from Sheba. I desire that people will always pray for our kings and praise them all the time, [every day].

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 of the field.

I hope/desire that the fields will produce plenty of grain [everywhere, even] on the tops of the hills in the land where they rule, like the grain that grows [on the hills] in Lebanon. I hope/desire that the cities [in Israel] will be full of people like the fields are full of grass.

17 May his name endure forever; may his name continue as long as the sun; may people be blessed in him; may all nations call him blessed.

I desire that the names of our kings will never be forgotten. I hope/desire that people will remember them as long as the sun shines. I hope/desire that people of all nations will ask (God to bless them/that they will be blessed by God) just like he has blessed the kings [of Israel].

18 May Yahweh God, the God of Israel, be blessed, who alone does wonderful things.

Praise Yahweh, the God whom [we] Israelis [worship]; he is the only one who does wonderful things.

19 May his glorious name be blessed forever, and may the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen and Amen.

Praise him forever! I desire that (his glory will fill the whole world/people all over the world may see that he is very great) [MTY]! Amen! May it be so!

20 The prayers of David son of Jesse are finished.

That is the end of this group of prayers/songs written by David, the son of Jesse.