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Psalm 72

Prayer for Guidance and Support for the King

Of Solomon.
¹ Give the king your justice, O God,
   and your righteousness to a king’s son.
² May he judge your people with righteousness,
   and your poor with justice.
³ May the mountains yield prosperity for the people,
   and the hills, in righteousness.
⁴ May he defend the cause of the poor of the people,
   give deliverance to the needy,
   and crush the oppressor.

⁵ May he live^* while the sun endures,
   and as long as the moon, throughout all generations.
⁶ May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass,
   like showers that water the earth.
⁷ In his days may righteousness flourish
   and peace abound, until the moon is no more.

⁸ May he have dominion from sea to sea,
   and from the River to the ends of the earth.
⁹ May his foes^* bow down before him,
   and his enemies lick the dust.
¹⁰ May the kings of Tarshish and of the isles
   render him tribute,
may the kings of Sheba and Seba
   bring gifts.
¹¹ May all kings fall down before him,
   all nations give him service.

¹² For he delivers the needy when they call,
   the poor and those who have no helper.
¹³ He has pity on the weak and the needy,
   and saves the lives of the needy.
¹⁴ From oppression and violence he redeems their life;
   and precious is their blood in his sight.

¹⁵ Long may he live!
   May gold of Sheba be given to him.
May prayer be made for him continually,
   and blessings invoked for him all day long.
¹⁶ May there be abundance of grain in the land;
   may it wave on the tops of the mountains;
   may its fruit be like Lebanon;
and may people blossom in the cities
   like the grass of the field.
¹⁷ May his name endure for ever,
   his fame continue as long as the sun.
May all nations be blessed in him;^*
   may they pronounce him happy.

¹⁸ Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
   who alone does wondrous things.
¹⁹ Blessed be his glorious name for ever;
   may his glory fill the whole earth.Amen and Amen.

²⁰ The prayers of David son of Jesse are ended.
⁷³ Your hands have made and fashioned me;
   give me understanding that I may learn your commandments.
⁷⁴ Those who fear you shall see me and rejoice,
   because I have hoped in your word.
⁷⁵ I know, O Lord, that your judgements are right,
   and that in faithfulness you have humbled me.
⁷⁶ Let your steadfast love become my comfort
   according to your promise to your servant.
⁷⁷ Let your mercy come to me, that I may live;
   for your law is my delight.
⁷⁸ Let the arrogant be put to shame,
   because they have subverted me with guile;
   as for me, I will meditate on your precepts.
⁷⁹ Let those who fear you turn to me,
   so that they may know your decrees.
⁸⁰ May my heart be blameless in your statutes,
   so that I may not be put to shame.

⁸¹ My soul languishes for your salvation;
   I hope in your word.
⁸² My eyes fail with watching for your promise;
   I ask, ‘When will you comfort me?’
⁸³ For I have become like a wineskin in the smoke,
   yet I have not forgotten your statutes.
⁸⁴ How long must your servant endure?
   When will you judge those who persecute me?
⁸⁵ The arrogant have dug pitfalls for me;
   they flout your law.
⁸⁶ All your commandments are enduring;
   I am persecuted without cause; help me!
⁸⁷ They have almost made an end of me on earth;
   but I have not forsaken your precepts.
⁸⁸ In your steadfast love spare my life,
   so that I may keep the decrees of your mouth.

⁸⁹ The Lord exists for ever;
   your word is firmly fixed in heaven.
⁹⁰ Your faithfulness endures to all generations;
   you have established the earth, and it stands fast.
⁹¹ By your appointment they stand today,
   for all things are your servants.
⁹² If your law had not been my delight,
   I would have perished in my misery.
⁹³ I will never forget your precepts,
   for by them you have given me life.
⁹⁴ I am yours; save me,
   for I have sought your precepts.
⁹⁵ The wicked lie in wait to destroy me,
   but I consider your decrees.
⁹⁶ I have seen a limit to all perfection,
   but your commandment is exceedingly broad.

The Foolishness of Nature Worship

13For all people who were ignorant of God were foolish by nature;
and they were unable from the good things that are seen to know the one who exists,
nor did they recognize the artisan while paying heed to his works;
² but they supposed that either fire or wind or swift air,
or the circle of the stars, or turbulent water,
or the luminaries of heaven were the gods that rule the world.
³ If through delight in the beauty of these things people assumed them to be gods,
let them know how much better than these is their Lord,
for the author of beauty created them.
⁴ And if people^* were amazed at their power and working,
let them perceive from them
how much more powerful is the one who formed them.
⁵ For from the greatness and beauty of created things
comes a corresponding perception of their Creator.
⁶ Yet these people are little to be blamed,
for perhaps they go astray
while seeking God and desiring to find him.
⁷ For while they live among his works, they keep searching,
and they trust in what they see, because the things that are seen are beautiful.
⁸ Yet again, not even they are to be excused;
⁹ for if they had the power to know so much
that they could investigate the world,
how did they fail to find sooner the Lord of these things?

Being Subject to Authorities

13Let every person be subject to the governing authorities; for there is no authority except from God, and those authorities that exist have been instituted by God. ²Therefore whoever resists authority resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgement. ³For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Do you wish to have no fear of the authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive its approval; ⁴for it is God’s servant for your good. But if you do what is wrong, you should be afraid, for the authority^* does not bear the sword in vain! It is the servant of God to execute wrath on the wrongdoer. ⁵Therefore one must be subject, not only because of wrath but also because of conscience. ⁶For the same reason you also pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, busy with this very thing. ⁷Pay to all what is due to them—taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honour to whom honour is due.

Love for One Another

8 Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. ⁹The commandments, ‘You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not covet’; and any other commandment, are summed up in this word, ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ ¹⁰Love does no wrong to a neighbour; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.

An Urgent Appeal

11 Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; ¹²the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armour of light; ¹³let us live honourably as in the day, not in revelling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarrelling and jealousy. ¹⁴Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

A Lamp under a Jar

16 ‘No one after lighting a lamp hides it under a jar, or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a lampstand, so that those who enter may see the light. ¹⁷For nothing is hidden that will not be disclosed, nor is anything secret that will not become known and come to light. ¹⁸Then pay attention to how you listen; for to those who have, more will be given; and from those who do not have, even what they seem to have will be taken away.’

The True Kindred of Jesus

19 Then his mother and his brothers came to him, but they could not reach him because of the crowd. ²⁰And he was told, ‘Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you.’ ²¹But he said to them, ‘My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.’

Jesus Calms a Storm

22 One day he got into a boat with his disciples, and he said to them, ‘Let us go across to the other side of the lake.’ So they put out, ²³and while they were sailing he fell asleep. A gale swept down on the lake, and the boat was filling with water, and they were in danger. ²⁴They went to him and woke him up, shouting, ‘Master, Master, we are perishing!’ And he woke up and rebuked the wind and the raging waves; they ceased, and there was a calm. ²⁵He said to them, ‘Where is your faith?’ They were afraid and amazed, and said to one another, ‘Who then is this, that he commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him?’