Psalm 72

Common Metre (8,6,8,6)

Suggested Tunes:

(vv.1-16) 117 St Lawrence, 101 Praetorius, 111 St Etheldreda, 154 Petersham

(vv.17-19) 56 Effingham

1    O Lord, thy judgments give the king,

            his son thy righteousness.

2    With right he shall thy people judge,

            thy poor with uprightness.

3    The lofty mountains shall bring forth

            unto the people peace;

      Likewise the little hills the same

            shall do by righteousness.

4    The people’s poor ones he shall judge,

            the needy’s children save;

      And those shall he in pieces break

            who them oppressed have.

5    They shall thee fear, while sun and moon

            do last, through ages all.

6    Like rain on mown grass he shall drop,

            or show’rs on earth that fall.

7    The just shall flourish in his days,

            and prosper in his reign:

      He shall, while doth the moon endure,

            abundant peace maintain.

8    His large and great dominion shall

            from sea to sea extend:

      It from the river shall reach forth

            unto earth’s utmost end.

9    They in the wilderness that dwell

            bow down before him must;

      And they that are his enemies

            shall lick the very dust.

10  The kings of Tarshish, and the isles,

            to him shall presents bring;

      And unto him shall offer gifts

            Sheba’s and Seba’s king.

11  Yea, all the mighty kings on earth

            before him down shall fall;

      And all the nations of the world

            do service to him shall.

12  For he the needy shall preserve,

            when he to him doth call;

      The poor also, and him that hath

            no help of man at all.

13  The poor man and the indigent

            in mercy he shall spare;

      He shall preserve alive the souls

            of those that needy are.

14  Both from deceit and violence

            their soul he shall set free;

      And in his sight right precious

            and dear their blood shall be.

15  Yea, he shall live, and giv’n to him

            shall be of Sheba’s gold:

      For him still shall they pray, and he

            shall daily be extoll’d.

16  Of corn an handful in the earth

            on tops of mountains high,

      With prosp’rous fruit shall shake, like trees

            on Lebanon that be.

      The city shall be flourishing,

            her citizens abound

      In number shall, like to the grass

            that grows upon the ground.

17  His name for ever shall endure;

            last like the sun it shall:

      Men shall be bless’d in him, and bless’d

            all nations shall him call.

18  Now blessed be the Lord our God,

            the God of Israel,

      For he alone doth wondrous works,

            in glory that excel.

19  And blessed be his glorious name

            to all eternity:

      The whole earth let his glory fill.

            Amen, so let it be.