Bible / Psalms
Psalm 72 [Douay 71]
World English Bible, Catholic edition, in plain modern English. About the translations
Douay-Rheims Bible, Challoner revision, the traditional Catholic English Bible. About the translations
Psalm 72 in modern numbering
1 God, give the king your justice; your righteousness to the royal son.
2 He will judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice.
3 The mountains shall bring prosperity to the people. The hills bring the fruit of righteousness.
4 He will judge the poor of the people. He will save the children of the needy, and will break the oppressor in pieces.
5 They shall fear you while the sun endures; and as long as the moon, throughout all generations.
6 He will come down like rain on the mown grass, as showers that water the earth.
7 In his days, the righteous shall flourish, and abundance of peace, until the moon is no more.
8 He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, from the River to the ends of the earth.
9 Those who dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him. His enemies shall lick the dust.
10 The kings of Tarshish and of the islands will bring tribute. The kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts.
11 Yes, all kings shall fall down before him. All nations shall serve him.
12 For he will deliver the needy when he cries; the poor, who has no helper.
13 He will have pity on the poor and needy. He will save the souls of the needy.
14 He will redeem their soul from oppression and violence. Their blood will be precious in his sight.
15 He will live; and Sheba’s gold will be given to him. Men will pray for him continually. They will bless him all day long.
16 Abundance of grain shall be throughout the land. Its fruit sways like Lebanon. Let it flourish, thriving like the grass of the field.
17 His name endures forever. His name continues as long as the sun. Men shall be blessed by him. All nations will call him blessed.
18 Praise be to the LORD God, the God of Israel, who alone does marvelous deeds.
19 Blessed be his glorious name forever! Let the whole earth be filled with his glory! Amen and amen.
20 This ends the prayers by David, the son of Jesse.
1 A psalm on Solomon.
2 Give to the king thy judgment, O God, and to the king’s son thy justice: To judge thy people with justice, and thy poor with judgment.
3 Let the mountains receive peace for the people: and the hills justice.
4 He shall judge the poor of the people, and he shall save the children of the poor: and he shall humble the oppressor.
5 And he shall continue with the sun and before the moon, throughout all generations.
6 He shall come down like rain upon the fleece; and as showers falling gently upon the earth.
7 In his days shall justice spring up, and abundance of peace, till the moon be taken away.
8 And he shall rule from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.
9 Before him the Ethiopians shall fall down: and his enemies shall lick the ground.
10 The kings of Tharsis and the islands shall offer presents: the kings of the Arabians and of Saba shall bring gifts:
11 And all kings of the earth shall adore him: all nations shall serve him.
12 For he shall deliver the poor from the mighty: and the needy that had no helper.
13 He shall spare the poor and needy: and he shall save the souls of the poor.
14 He shall redeem their souls from usuries and iniquity: and their names shall be honourable in his sight.
15 And he shall live, and to him shall be given of the gold of Arabia, for him they shall always adore: they shall bless him all the day.
16 And there shall be a firmament on the earth on the tops of mountains, above Libanus shall the fruit thereof be exalted: and they of the city shall flourish like the grass of the earth.
17 Let his name be blessed for evermore: his name continueth before the sun. And in him shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed: all nations shall magnify him.
18 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who alone doth wonderful things.
19 And blessed be the name of his majesty for ever: and the whole earth shall be filled with his majesty. So be it. So be it.
20 The praises of David, the son of Jesse, are ended.
This chapter in the Catechism and the early Church
Where the Catechism of the Catholic Church cites these verses (from its footnotes on vatican.va), and where the earliest Church Fathers quote them (Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1, public domain). Short quotes only; follow the links for the full text. The Catechism uses modern verse numbers and psalm numbers (one higher than Douay-Rheims for most psalms), so these are listed by chapter.
- Psalm 72:17 in modern Bibles
Read the Fathers
“… speaking by David about this Christ, my friends, said no longer that in His seed' the nations should be blessed, but in Him.' So it is here: His name shall rise up for ever above the sun; and in Him shall all nations be blessed.”
Quoted in Dialogue with Trypho, St. Justin Martyr (c. AD 160), Chapter CXXI. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1