Psalm - The Old Testament

¹ [Of Solomon] God, endow the king with your own fair judgement, the son of the king with your own saving justice,

² that he may rule your people with justice, and your poor with fair judgement.

³ Mountains and hills, bring peace to the people! With justice

⁴ he will judge the poor of the people, he will save the children of the needy and crush their oppressors.

⁵ In the sight of the sun and the moon he will endure, age after age.

⁶ He will come down like rain on mown grass, like showers moistening the land.

⁷ In his days uprightness shall flourish, and peace in plenty till the moon is no more.

⁸ His empire shall stretch from sea to sea, from the river to the limits of the earth.

⁹ The Beast will cower before him, his enemies lick the dust;

¹⁰ the kings of Tarshish and the islands will pay him tribute. The kings of Sheba and Saba will offer gifts;

¹¹ all kings will do him homage, all nations become his servants.

¹² For he rescues the needy who calls to him, and the poor who has no one to help.

¹³ He has pity on the weak and the needy, and saves the needy from death.

¹⁴ From oppression and violence he redeems their lives, their blood is precious in his sight.

¹⁵ (Long may he live; may the gold of Sheba be given him!) Prayer will be offered for him constantly, and blessings invoked on him all day.

¹⁶ May wheat abound in the land, waving on the heights of the hills, like Lebanon with its fruits and flowers at their best, like the grasses of the earth.

¹⁷ May his name be blessed for ever, and endure in the sight of the sun. In him shall be blessed every race in the world, and all nations call him blessed.

¹⁸ Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Israel, who alone works wonders;

¹⁹ blessed for ever his glorious name. May the whole world be filled with his glory! Amen! Amen!

²⁰ End of the prayers of David, son of Jesse.