The Message Bible MSG
English Standard Version ESV
1 Give the gift of wise rule to the king, O God, the gift of just rule to the crown prince.
1
Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to the royal son!
2 May he judge your people rightly, be honorable to your meek and lowly.
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May he judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice!
3 Let the mountains give exuberant witness; shape the hills with the contours of right living.
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Let the mountains bear prosperity for the people, and the hills, in righteousness!
4 Please stand up for the poor, help the children of the needy, come down hard on the cruel tyrants.
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May he defend the cause of the poor of the people, give deliverance to the children of the needy, and crush the oppressor!
5 Outlast the sun, outlive the moon - age after age after age.
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May they fear you while the sun endures, and as long as the moon, throughout all generations!
6 Be rainfall on cut grass, earth-refreshing rain showers.
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May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass, like showers that water the earth!
7 Let righteousness burst into blossom and peace abound until the moon fades to nothing.
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In his days may the righteous flourish, and peace abound, till the moon be no more!
8 Rule from sea to sea, from the River to the Rim.
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May he have dominion from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth!
9 Foes will fall on their knees before God, his enemies lick the dust.
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May desert tribes bow down before him, and his enemies lick the dust!
10 Kings remote and legendary will pay homage, kings rich and resplendent will turn over their wealth.
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May the kings of Tarshish and of the coastlands render him tribute; may the kings of Sheba and Seba bring gifts!
11 All kings will fall down and worship, and godless nations sign up to serve him,
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May all kings fall down before him, all nations serve him!
12 Because he rescues the poor at the first sign of need, the destitute who have run out of luck.
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For he delivers the needy when he calls, the poor and him who has no helper.
13 He opens a place in his heart for the down-and-out, he restores the wretched of the earth.
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He has pity on the weak and the needy, and saves the lives of the needy.
14 He frees them from tyranny and torture - when they bleed, he bleeds; when they die, he dies.
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From oppression and violence he redeems their life, and precious is their blood in his sight.
15 And live! Oh, let him live! Deck him out in Sheba gold. Offer prayers unceasing to him, bless him from morning to night.
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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 the day!
16 Fields of golden grain in the land, cresting the mountains in wild exuberance, Cornucopias of praise, praises springing from the city like grass from the earth.
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May there be abundance of grain in the land; on the tops of the mountains may it wave; may its fruit be like Lebanon; and may people blossom in the cities like the grass of the field!
17 May he never be forgotten, his fame shine on like sunshine. May all godless people enter his circle of blessing and bless the One who blessed them.
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May his name endure forever, his fame continue as long as the sun! May people be blessed in him, all nations call him blessed!
18 Blessed God, Israel's God, the one and only wonder-working God!
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Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things.
19 Blessed always his blazing glory! All earth brims with his glory.
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Blessed be his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory! Amen and Amen!
20 Yes and Yes and Yes.
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The prayers of David, the son of Jesse, are ended.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.