(By Solomon.)

A prayer for God to guide and help the king

1Please help the king

to be honest and fair

just like you, our God.

2Let him be honest and fair

with all your people,

especially the poor.

3Let peace and justice rule

every mountain and hill.

4Let the king defend the poor,

rescue the homeless, and crush

everyone who hurts them.

5Let the king live72.5 Let the king live: One ancient translation; Hebrew “Let them worship you”. for ever

like the sun and the moon.

6Let him be as helpful as rain

that refreshes the meadows

and the ground.

7Let the king be fair

with everyone,

and let there be peace

until the moon

falls from the sky.

8Let his kingdom reach72.8: Zec 9.10.

from sea to sea,

from the River Euphrates

across all the earth.

9Force the desert tribes

to accept his rule,

and make his enemies

crawl in the dust.

10Force the rulers of Tarshish72.10 Tarshish: Possibly a city in Spain.

and of the islands

to pay taxes to him.

Make the kings of Sheba

and of Seba72.10 Sheba…Seba: Sheba may have been a place in what is now south-west Arabia, and Seba may have been in southern Arabia. bring gifts.

11Make other rulers bow down

and all nations serve him.

12Do this because the king

rescues the homeless

when they cry out,

and he helps everyone

who is poor and in need.

13The king has pity

on the weak and the helpless

and protects those in need.

14He cares when they suffer,

and he saves them from cruel

and violent deaths.

15Long live the king!

Give him gold from Sheba.

Always pray for the king

and praise him each day.

16Let cities overflow with food

and hills be covered with grain,

just like Mount Lebanon.

Let the people in the cities

prosper like wild flowers.

17May the glory of the king

shine brightly for ever

like the sun in the sky.

Let him make nations prosper

and learn to praise him.

18LORD God of Israel,

we praise you.

Only you can work miracles.

19We will always praise

your glorious name.

Let your glory be seen

everywhere on earth.

Amen and amen.

20This ends the prayers

of David, the son of Jesse.