Psalm 72

 ¹ Endow the king with your justice, O God,
   the royal son with your righteousness.
² He will judge your people in righteousness,
   your afflicted ones with justice.
³ The mountains will bring prosperity to the people,
   the hills the fruit of righteousness.
⁴ He will defend the afflicted among the people
   and save the children of the needy;
   he will crush the oppressor.
 ⁵ He will endure as long as the sun,
   as long as the moon, through all generations.
⁶ He will be like rain falling on a mown field,
   like showers watering the earth.
⁷ In his days the righteous will flourish;
   prosperity will abound till the moon is no more.
 ⁸ He will rule from sea to sea
   and from the River to the ends of the earth.
⁹ The desert tribes will bow before him
   and his enemies will lick the dust.
¹⁰ The kings of Tarshish and of distant shores
   will bring tribute to him;
the kings of Sheba and Seba
   will present him gifts.
¹¹ All kings will bow down to him
   and all nations will serve him.
 ¹² For he will deliver the needy who cry out,
   the afflicted who have no one to help.
¹³ He will take pity on the weak and the needy
   and save the needy from death.
¹⁴ He will rescue them from oppression and violence,
   for precious is their blood in his sight.
 ¹⁵ Long may he live!
   May gold from Sheba be given him.
May people ever pray for him
   and bless him all day long.
¹⁶ Let grain abound throughout the land;
   on the tops of the hills may it sway.
Let its fruit flourish like Lebanon;
   let it thrive like the grass of the field.
¹⁷ May his name endure forever;
   may it continue as long as the sun.
   All nations will be blessed through him,
   and they will call him blessed.
¹⁸ Praise be to the LORD God, the God of Israel,
   who alone does marvelous deeds.
¹⁹ Praise be to his glorious name forever;
   may the whole earth be filled with his glory.
            Amen and Amen.
²⁰ This concludes the prayers of David son of Jesse.

Psalm 71

¹ In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge;
   let me never be put to shame.
² Rescue me and deliver me in your righteousness;
   turn your ear to me and save me.
³ Be my rock of refuge,
   to which I can always go;
give the command to save me,
   for you are my rock and my fortress.
⁴ Deliver me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked,
   from the grasp of evil and cruel men.
 ⁵ For you have been my hope, O Sovereign LORD,
   my confidence since my youth.
⁶ From birth I have relied on you;
   you brought me forth from my mother’s womb.
   I will ever praise you.
⁷ I have become like a portent to many,
   but you are my strong refuge.
⁸ My mouth is filled with your praise,
   declaring your splendor all day long.
 ⁹ Do not cast me away when I am old;
   do not forsake me when my strength is gone.
¹⁰ For my enemies speak against me;
   those who wait to kill me conspire together.
¹¹ They say, “God has forsaken him;
   pursue him and seize him,
   for no one will rescue him.”
¹² Be not far from me, O God;
   come quickly, O my God, to help me.
¹³ May my accusers perish in shame;
   may those who want to harm me
   be covered with scorn and disgrace.
 ¹⁴ But as for me, I will always have hope;
   I will praise you more and more.
¹⁵ My mouth will tell of your righteousness,
   of your salvation all day long,
   though I know not its measure.
¹⁶ I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, O Sovereign LORD;
   I will proclaim your righteousness, yours alone.
¹⁷ Since my youth, O God, you have taught me,
   and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds.
¹⁸ Even when I am old and gray,
   do not forsake me, O God,
till I declare your power to the next generation,
   your might to all who are to come.
 ¹⁹ Your righteousness reaches to the skies, O God,
   you who have done great things.
   Who, O God, is like you?
²⁰ Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter,
   you will restore my life again;
from the depths of the earth
   you will again bring me up.
²¹ You will increase my honor
   and comfort me once again.
 ²² I will praise you with the harp
   for your faithfulness, O my God;
I will sing praise to you with the lyre,
   O Holy One of Israel.
²³ My lips will shout for joy
   when I sing praise to you—
   I, whom you have redeemed.
²⁴ My tongue will tell of your righteous acts
   all day long,
for those who wanted to harm me
   have been put to shame and confusion.