Psalm 72, NEW INTERNATIONAL READER’S VERSION
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1

God, give the king the ability to judge fairly.
He is your royal son.  Help him to do what is right.
 

2

Then he will rule your people in the right way.
He will be fair to those among your people who are hurting.
 

3

The mountains and the hills will produce rich crops,
because the people will do what is right.
 

4

The king will stand up for those who are hurting.
He will save the children of those who are in need.
He will crush those who beat others down.
 

5

He will rule as long as the sun shines
and the moon gives its light.
He will rule for all time to come.
 

6

He will be like rain falling on the fields.
He will be like showers watering the earth.
 

7

Godly people will do well as long as he rules.
They will have more than they need as long as the moon lasts.
 

8

He will rule from ocean to ocean.
His kingdom will reach from the Euphrates River
to the ends of the earth.
 

9

The desert tribes will bow down to him.
His enemies will lick the dust.
 

10

The kings of Tarshish and of places far away
will bring him gifts.
The kings of Sheba and Seba
will give him presents.
 

11

All kings will bow down to him.
All nations will serve him.
 

12

People who are in need will cry out, and he will save them.
He will save those who are hurting.
They don’t have anyone else who can help them.
 

13

He will take pity on those who are weak and in need.
He will save them from death.
 

14

He will save them from people who beat others down.
He will save them from people who do mean things to them.
Their lives are very special to him.
 

15

May he live a long time!
May gold from Sheba be given to him.
May people always pray for him.
May they ask the Lord to bless him all day long.
 

16

Let there be plenty of grain everywhere in the land.
May it sway in the wind on the tops of the hills.
Let crops grow well, like those in Lebanon.
Let them grow like the grass of the field.
 

17

May the king’s name be remembered forever.
May his fame last as long as the sun shines.
All nations will be blessed because of him.
They will call him blessed.
 

18

Give praise to the Lord God, the God of Israel.
Only he can do wonderful things.
 

19

Give praise to his glorious name forever.
May his glory fill the whole earth.
Amen and Amen.
 

20

The prayers of David, the son of Jesse, end here.