Chapter 72
David composed this psalm for Solomon, praying that he be granted the wisdom to provide justice for the poor.
1For Solomon. O God, impart Your justice to the king, and Your righteousness to the son of the king.
2May he judge Your people with righteousness, Your poor with justice.
3May the mountains bear peace to the nation, also the hills, in [reward for their] righteousness.
4May he judge the nation's poor, save the children of the destitute, and crush the oppressor,
5so that they will fear You as long as the sun [shines] and the moon endures, generation after generation.
6May [his words] descend like rain upon cut grass, like raindrops that water the earth.
7In his days may the righteous flourish, with much peace until the moon is no more.
8And may he rule from sea to sea, and from the river until the ends of the earth.
9May nobles kneel before him, and may his enemies lick the dust.
10The kings of Tarshish and the islands will return tribute, the kings of Sheba and Seba will offer gifts.
11All kings will bow to him, all nations will serve him;
12for he rescues the needy one who cries out, the poor one who has no one to help him.
13He pities the impoverished and needy, and saves the souls of the destitute.
14He redeems their soul from deception and violence, and their blood is precious in his eyes.
15He revives [the poor], and gives him of the gold of Sheba; and so [the poor] pray for him always, and bless him all day.
16May there be abundant grain in the land, upon the mountaintops; may its fruit rustle like the [cedars of] Lebanon, and may [people] blossom from the city like the grass of the earth.
17May his name endure forever; may his name be magnified as long as the sun [shines]. And all nations will bless themselves by him, they will praise him.
18Blessed is the Lord God, the God of Israel, Who alone performs wonders.
19Blessed is His glorious Name forever, and may the whole earth be filled with His glory, Amen and Amen.
20The prayers of David, son of Jesse, are concluded
Chapter 73
This psalm addresses the question of why the righteous suffer while the wicked prosper, and prays for an end to our long exile. Read, and you will find repose for your soul.
1A psalm by Asaph. Truly God is good to Israel, to the pure of heart.
2But as for me, my feet nearly strayed; in an instant my steps would have been swept aside.
3For I envied the revelers when I saw the tranquility of the wicked.
4For there are no bonds to their death, and their health is sound.
5They have no part in the toil of men, nor are they afflicted like other mortals;
6therefore they wear pride as a necklace; their bodies are enwrapped in violence.
7Their eyes bulge from fat; they surpassed the fantasies of their heart.
8They consume [others], and talk wickedly of oppression-from on high do they speak.
9They set their mouths against Heaven, while their tongues walk upon the earth.
10Therefore His people return here, and suck the full [cup of bitter] waters.
11And they say, "How can it be that God knows? Is there knowledge in the Most High?”
12Behold these are the wicked, and they are ever tranquil, they have gained much wealth.
13Surely in vain have I purified my heart, and washed my hands in cleanliness;
14for I was afflicted all day, and my rebuke came each morning.
15Were I to say, "I shall tell it like it is," behold I would turn the generation of Your children to rebels.
16And when I pondered to understand this, it was unjust in my eyes;
17until I came to the sanctuaries of God, and perceived their end.
18Only on slippery places do You set them, You cast them into darkness.
19How they have become desolate in an instant! They came to an end, they were consumed by terrors,
20like a dream upon awakening. O my Lord, disgrace their image in the city.
21When my heart was in ferment, and my mind was sharpened,
22I was a boor and did not understand, like an animal was I with You.
23Yet I was always with You; You held my right hand.
24Guide me with Your counsel, and afterward, receive me with honor.
25Whom do I have in heaven [besides You]? And when I am with You I desire nothing on earth.
26My flesh and my heart yearn; God is the rock of my heart and my portion forever.
27For behold, all those who are far from You perish, You cut down all who stray from You.
28But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have put my trust in my Lord, God, that I may recount all Your works.
Chapter 74
The psalmist mourns and weeps over all the synagogues and study halls that have been burned: the Philistines destroyed the Tabernacle of Shiloh; Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the first Temple. We have been in exile for so long, without seeing any signs of redemption! When will the redemption come? Read, and you will find lamentation and consolation.
1A maskil by Asaph. Why, O God, have You abandoned us forever, does Your wrath fume against the sheep of Your pasture?
2Remember Your congregation which You acquired long ago, the tribe of Your inheritance whom You redeemed [and brought to] Mount Zion, where You rested Your Presence.
3Lift Your steps to inflict eternal ruin, because of all the evil done by the enemy in the Sanctuary.
4Your foes roared in the midst of Your meeting place; they considered their omens to be [genuine] signs.
5The axes in the thicket of trees were reckoned as bringing [an offering] to the Above.
6And now, all her ornaments together are smashed by hammer and hatchet.
7They set Your Sanctuary on fire; they desecrated the Abode of Your Name to the ground.
8Their rulers thought together in their hearts; they burned all the meeting places of God in the land.
9We have not seen our signs; there is no longer a prophet, and there is none among us who knows how long.
10How long, O God, will the adversary disgrace, will the enemy blaspheme Your Name forever!
11Why do You withdraw Your hand, even Your right hand? Cast it out from within Your bosom!
12For God is my King from long ago, working salvations in the midst of the earth.
13In Your might, You divided the sea; You shattered the heads of the sea-monsters on the waters.
14You crushed the heads of the Leviathan, leaving him as food for the nation [wandering in] the wilderness.
15You split [the rock, bringing forth] fountain and brook; You dried up mighty streams.
16Yours is the day, the night is also Yours; You established the moon and the sun.
17You set all the boundaries of the earth; summer and winter-You created them.
18Remember this, how the enemy reviled the Lord, and the vile nation blasphemed Your Name.
19Do not give the soul of Your turtledove to the wild beast; do not forget the life of Your poor forever.
20Look to the covenant, for the dark places of the earth are filled with dens of violence.
21Do not turn back the oppressed in disgrace; [then] the poor and needy will praise Your Name.
22Arise, O God, champion Your cause; remember Your insults from the perverse all day long.
23Forget not the voice of Your adversaries; the tumult of Your opponents ascends always.
Chapter 75
How great is Israel! During their holidays they do not engage in frivolity, but in song and praise, and the study of the holiday's laws. Also, when they proclaimed (at the giving of the Torah), "We will do and we will hear!" they allowed the world to remain in existence. This psalm also admonishes those who indulge in worldly pleasures and attribute their prosperity to their own efforts.
1For the Conductor, a plea not to be destroyed. A psalm by Asaph, a song.
2We gave thanks to You, O God, we gave thanks; and Your Name was near [when] they told of Your wonders.
3When I choose the appointed time, I will judge with fairness.
4When the earth and all its inhabitants were melting, I established its pillars forever.
5I said to the perverse, "Do not pervert [Israel]," and to the wicked, "Do not raise your pride.”
6Do not raise your pride heavenward, nor speak with an arrogant neck
7For not from the east or the west, nor from the desert does greatness come.
8For God is Judge; He humbles one, and elevates the other.
9For there is a cup [of punishment] in the hand of the Lord, with strong wine of full mixture; He pours from this, and all the wicked of the earth will drink, draining even its dregs.
10But as for me, I will tell of it forever; I will sing to the God of Jacob.
11I will cut off all glory of the wicked, but the glory of the righteous will be raised up.
Chapter 76
This psalm contains the prophecy of when the vast army of Sennacherib was seized with a deep slumber that rendered the hands of the soldiers powerless to raise their weapons; thus did they all fall in battle.
1For the Conductor, with instrumental music, a psalm by Asaph, a song.
2God is known in Judah, His Name is great in Israel.
3His Tabernacle was in Shalem, and His dwelling place in Zion.
4There He broke the flying arrows of the bow, the shield, the sword and battle-forever.
5You are illumination, mightier than the mountains of prey.
6The stout-hearted were without sense, they slept their sleep, and all the warriors were unable to find their strength.
7At Your rebuke, O God of Jacob, chariot and horse were stunned.
8You, awesome are You! Who can stand before You once You are enraged.
9From heaven You let the verdict be heard; the earth feared and was still,
10when God rose to pass judgement, to save all the humble of the earth forever.
11The anger of man will cause us to thank You; You will restrain the residue of wrath.
12Make vows to the Lord your God and fulfill them; all who surround Him will bring tribute to the Awesome One.
13He cuts down the spirit of nobles; He is awesome to the kings of the earth.
