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Psalm 72-73
New American Standard Bible
Psalm 72-73
New American Standard Bible
The Reign of the Righteous King.
A Psalm of Solomon.
72 Give the king (A)Your judgments, God,
And (B)Your righteousness to the king’s son.
2 [a]May [b]he (C)judge Your people with righteousness
And [c](D)Your afflicted with justice.
3 [d]May the mountains bring [e](E)peace to the people,
And the hills, in righteousness.
4 [f]May he (F)vindicate the [g]afflicted of the people,
Save the children of the needy,
And crush the oppressor.
5 [h]May they fear You (G)while the sun shines,
And [i]as long as the moon shines, throughout all generations.
6 [j]May he come down (H)like rain upon the mown grass,
Like (I)showers that water the earth.
7 [k]May the (J)righteous flourish in his days,
As well as an (K)abundance of peace, until the moon is no more.
8 May he also rule (L)from sea to sea,
And from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth.
9 [l]May (M)the nomads of the desert (N)bow before him,
And his enemies (O)lick the dust.
10 [m]May the kings of (P)Tarshish and of the [n](Q)islands bring gifts;
May the kings of (R)Sheba and (S)Seba (T)offer tributes.
11 [o]And may all (U)kings bow down before him,
All (V)nations serve him.
12 For he will (W)save the needy when he cries for help,
The [p]afflicted also, and him who has no helper.
13 He will have (X)compassion on the poor and needy,
And he will save the [q]lives of the needy.
14 He will [r](Y)rescue their [s]life from oppression and violence,
And their blood will be (Z)precious in his sight;
15 So may he live, and may the (AA)gold of Sheba be given to him;
And [t]they are to pray for him continually;
[u]They are to bless him all day long.
16 May there be abundance of grain on the earth on top of the mountains;
Its fruit will wave like the cedars of (AB)Lebanon;
And may those from the city flourish like the (AC)vegetation of the earth.
17 May his (AD)name endure forever;
May his name produce descendants [v](AE)as long as the sun shines;
And may people (AF)wish blessings on themselves by him;
(AG)May all nations call him blessed.
18 (AH)Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,
Who alone (AI)works wonders.
19 And blessed be His (AJ)glorious name forever;
And may the whole (AK)earth be filled with His glory.
(AL)Amen and Amen.
20 The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.
BOOK 3
The End of the Wicked Contrasted with That of the Righteous.
A Psalm of Asaph.
73 God certainly is (AM)good to Israel,
To those who are (AN)pure in heart!
2 But as for me, (AO)my feet came close to stumbling,
My steps [w]had almost slipped.
3 For I was (AP)envious of the [x]arrogant
As I saw the (AQ)prosperity of the wicked.
4 For there are no pains in their death,
And their belly is fat.
5 They are (AR)not [y]in trouble like other people,
Nor are they (AS)tormented together with the rest of mankind.
6 Therefore arrogance is (AT)their necklace;
The (AU)garment of violence covers them.
7 Their eye [z]bulges from (AV)fatness;
The imaginations of their heart overflow.
8 They (AW)mock and [aa]wickedly speak of oppression;
They (AX)speak from on high.
9 They have (AY)set their mouth [ab]against the heavens,
And their tongue [ac]parades through the earth.
10 Therefore [ad]his people return here,
And (AZ)abundant waters are drunk by them.
11 They say, “(BA)How does God know?
And is there knowledge [ae]with the Most High?”
12 Behold, (BB)these are the wicked;
And always (BC)at ease, they have increased in wealth.
13 Surely (BD)in vain I have [af]kept my heart pure
And (BE)washed my hands in innocence;
14 For I have been stricken (BF)all day long,
And [ag](BG)punished every morning.
15 If I had said, “I will speak this way,”
Behold, I would have betrayed the (BH)generation of Your children.
16 When I (BI)thought of understanding this,
It was [ah]troublesome in my sight
17 Until I entered the [ai](BJ)sanctuary of God;
Then I perceived their (BK)end.
18 You indeed put them on (BL)slippery ground;
You dropped them into [aj](BM)ruin.
19 How they are [ak](BN)destroyed in a moment!
They are utterly swept away by (BO)sudden terrors!
20 Like a (BP)dream when one awakes,
Lord, when (BQ)stirred, You will (BR)despise their image.
21 When my (BS)heart was embittered
And I was (BT)pierced [al]within,
22 Then I was (BU)stupid and ignorant;
I was like an (BV)animal [am]before You.
23 Nevertheless (BW)I am continually with You;
You have taken hold of my right hand.
24 You will (BX)guide me with Your plan,
And afterward (BY)receive me [an]to glory.
25 (BZ)Whom do I have in heaven but You?
And with You, I desire nothing on earth.
26 My (CA)flesh and my heart may fail,
But God is the [ao]strength of my heart and my (CB)portion forever.
27 For, behold, (CC)those who are far from You will (CD)perish;
You have destroyed all those who [ap](CE)are unfaithful to You.
28 But as for me, (CF)the nearness of God is good for me;
I have made the Lord [aq]God my (CG)refuge,
So that I may (CH)tell of all Your works.
Footnotes
- Psalm 72:2 Or He will judge
- Psalm 72:2 Many of the pronouns in this Psalm may be rendered He since the typical reference is to the Messiah
- Psalm 72:2 Or Your humble
- Psalm 72:3 Or The mountains will bring
- Psalm 72:3 Or prosperity
- Psalm 72:4 Or He will vindicate
- Psalm 72:4 Or humble
- Psalm 72:5 Or They will fear
- Psalm 72:5 Lit before the moon
- Psalm 72:6 Or He will come down
- Psalm 72:7 Or The righteous will flourish
- Psalm 72:9 Or The nomads...will bow
- Psalm 72:10 Or The kings...will bring
- Psalm 72:10 Or coastlands
- Psalm 72:11 Or All kings will bow down
- Psalm 72:12 Or humble
- Psalm 72:13 Lit souls
- Psalm 72:14 Lit redeem
- Psalm 72:14 Lit soul
- Psalm 72:15 Lit he is to
- Psalm 72:15 Lit He is to
- Psalm 72:17 Lit before the sun
- Psalm 73:2 Lit were caused to slip
- Psalm 73:3 Or boasters
- Psalm 73:5 Lit in the trouble of people
- Psalm 73:7 Lit goes forth
- Psalm 73:8 Or they speak in wickedness; From on high they speak of oppression
- Psalm 73:9 Or in
- Psalm 73:9 Lit walks
- Psalm 73:10 Or His
- Psalm 73:11 Lit in
- Psalm 73:13 Or cleansed my heart
- Psalm 73:14 Lit my punishment
- Psalm 73:16 Lit labor, trouble
- Psalm 73:17 Lit sanctuaries
- Psalm 73:18 Or deception
- Psalm 73:19 Lit become a desolation
- Psalm 73:21 Lit in my kidneys
- Psalm 73:22 Lit with You
- Psalm 73:24 Or with honor
- Psalm 73:26 Lit rock
- Psalm 73:27 Lit go to a whoring from
- Psalm 73:28 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
Psalm 72-73
New International Version
Psalm 72-73
New International Version
Psalm 72
Of Solomon.
1 Endow the king with your justice,(A) O God,
the royal son with your righteousness.
2 May he judge your people in righteousness,(B)
your afflicted ones with justice.
3 May the mountains bring prosperity to the people,
the hills the fruit of righteousness.
4 May he defend the afflicted(C) among the people
and save the children of the needy;(D)
may he crush the oppressor.(E)
5 May he endure[a](F) as long as the sun,
as long as the moon, through all generations.(G)
6 May he be like rain(H) falling on a mown field,
like showers watering the earth.
7 In his days may the righteous flourish(I)
and prosperity abound till the moon is no more.
8 May he rule from sea to sea
and from the River[b](J) to the ends of the earth.(K)
9 May the desert tribes bow before him
and his enemies lick the dust.
10 May the kings of Tarshish(L) and of distant shores(M)
bring tribute to him.
May the kings of Sheba(N) and Seba
present him gifts.(O)
11 May all kings bow down(P) to him
and all nations serve(Q) him.
12 For he will deliver the needy who cry out,
the afflicted who have no one to help.
13 He will take pity(R) on the weak and the needy
and save the needy from death.
14 He will rescue(S) them from oppression and violence,
for precious(T) is their blood in his sight.
15 Long may he live!
May gold from Sheba(U) be given him.
May people ever pray for him
and bless him all day long.(V)
16 May grain(W) abound throughout the land;
on the tops of the hills may it sway.
May the crops(X) flourish like Lebanon(Y)
and thrive[c] like the grass of the field.(Z)
17 May his name endure forever;(AA)
may it continue as long as the sun.(AB)
18 Praise be to the Lord God, the God of Israel,(AD)
who alone does marvelous deeds.(AE)
19 Praise be to his glorious name(AF) forever;
may the whole earth be filled with his glory.(AG)
Amen and Amen.(AH)
20 This concludes the prayers of David son of Jesse.(AI)
BOOK III
Psalms 73–89
Psalm 73
A psalm of Asaph.
1 Surely God is good to Israel,
to those who are pure in heart.(AJ)
2 But as for me, my feet had almost slipped;(AK)
I had nearly lost my foothold.(AL)
3 For I envied(AM) the arrogant
when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.(AN)
4 They have no struggles;
their bodies are healthy and strong.[e]
5 They are free(AO) from common human burdens;
they are not plagued by human ills.
6 Therefore pride(AP) is their necklace;(AQ)
they clothe themselves with violence.(AR)
7 From their callous hearts(AS) comes iniquity[f];
their evil imaginations have no limits.
8 They scoff, and speak with malice;(AT)
with arrogance(AU) they threaten oppression.(AV)
9 Their mouths lay claim to heaven,
and their tongues take possession of the earth.
10 Therefore their people turn to them
and drink up waters in abundance.[g]
11 They say, “How would God know?
Does the Most High know anything?”
13 Surely in vain(AY) I have kept my heart pure
and have washed my hands in innocence.(AZ)
14 All day long I have been afflicted,(BA)
and every morning brings new punishments.
15 If I had spoken out like that,
I would have betrayed your children.
16 When I tried to understand(BB) all this,
it troubled me deeply
17 till I entered the sanctuary(BC) of God;
then I understood their final destiny.(BD)
18 Surely you place them on slippery ground;(BE)
you cast them down to ruin.(BF)
19 How suddenly(BG) are they destroyed,
completely swept away(BH) by terrors!
20 They are like a dream(BI) when one awakes;(BJ)
when you arise, Lord,
you will despise them as fantasies.(BK)
21 When my heart was grieved
and my spirit embittered,
22 I was senseless(BL) and ignorant;
I was a brute beast(BM) before you.
23 Yet I am always with you;
you hold me by my right hand.(BN)
24 You guide(BO) me with your counsel,(BP)
and afterward you will take me into glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you?(BQ)
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.(BR)
26 My flesh and my heart(BS) may fail,(BT)
but God is the strength(BU) of my heart
and my portion(BV) forever.
Footnotes
- Psalm 72:5 Septuagint; Hebrew You will be feared
- Psalm 72:8 That is, the Euphrates
- Psalm 72:16 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text Lebanon, / from the city
- Psalm 72:17 Or will use his name in blessings (see Gen. 48:20)
- Psalm 73:4 With a different word division of the Hebrew; Masoretic Text struggles at their death; / their bodies are healthy
- Psalm 73:7 Syriac (see also Septuagint); Hebrew Their eyes bulge with fat
- Psalm 73:10 The meaning of the Hebrew for this verse is uncertain.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) 
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New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.