Psalm 72 J.H.
Words: Sternhold and Hopkins, The Whole Book of Psalms Collected into English Metre
1 Lord, give thy judgments to the king,
therein instruct him well;
And with his son in ev'ry thing,
Lord, let thy justice dwell:
2 That he may govern uprightly,
and rule thy folk with right;
And so defend with equity
the poor that have no might.
3 And let the mountains that are high
unto thy folk give peace;
Let little hills also apply
in justice to increase:
4 That he may help the weak and poor
with aid, and make them strong;
And so destroy for evermore
all those that do them wrong.
5 And then from age to age shall they
regard and fear thy might,
So long as sun doth shine by day,
or moon give light by night.
6 Lord, make the king unto the just
like rain to fields new mown,
And like to drops that lay the dust,
refreshing land new sown.
7 The just shall flourish in his days,
and all shall be at peace,
Until the moon shall cease always
To change, waste, or increase.
8 He shall be Lord, and have command
from shore to shore throughout,
And from the floods within the land
through all the earth about.
9 The people that in deserts dwell
Shall kneel to him full thick;
And all his foes that do rebel
the earth and dust shall lick.
10 The lords of all the isles also
great gifts to him shall bring,
Arabia and Saba's kings
give many a costly thing.
The Second Part.
11 All kings shall seek with one accord
in his good grace to stand,
And all the people of the world
obey at his command:
12 For he the needy sort doth save
that unto him do call,
Also the simple folk that have
no help of man at all.
13 He taketh pity on the poor
that are with need oppressed,
He doth preserve them evermore,
and bring their souls to rest.
14 He shall redeem their souls from dread,
from fraud, from wrong, and might;
Also their blood that shall be shed,
is precious in his sight.
15 But he shall live, and they shall bring
to him of Saba's gold;
He shall be honored as a king,
and daily be extolled.
16 The mighty mountains of his land
of corn shall bear such throng,
That it like cedar-trees shall stand
in Libanus** full long.
17 Their cities also well shall speed,
the fruits thereof surpass;
In plenty it shall so exceed,
and spring as green as grass.
18 For ever they shall praise his Name,
while that the sun is light;
And think them happy through the same:
all folk shall bless his might.
19 Praise ye the Lord of hosts, and sing
to Israel's God each one;
For he doth ev'ry wondrous thing,
yea, he himself alone:
20 And blessed be his holy Name
all times eternally;
Let all the earth still praise the same,
Amen, Amen, say I,
**(Note: this is how it is spelled in our copy)
