✶Gnosis
← Contents
Theme
0550 / 1189

Listen

Dhammapada · narration sample

A one-minute narration sample. Every book in the library is narrated end to end — hear the rest in the app.

The Bible · 550 of 1189

Psalms 72

1.Give the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness unto the king’s son.

2.He shall judge thy people with righteousness, and thy poor with judgment.

3.The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness.

4.He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor.

5.They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations.

6.He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth.

7.In his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth.

8.He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.

9.They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him; and his enemies shall lick the dust.

10.The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents: the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts.

11.Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him.

12.For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper.

13.He shall spare the poor and needy, and shall save the souls of the needy.

14.He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence: and precious shall their blood be in his sight.

15.And he shall live, and to him shall be given of the gold of Sheba: prayer also shall be made for him continually; and daily shall he be praised.

16.There shall be an handful of corn in the earth upon the top of the mountains; the fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon: and they of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth.

17.His name shall endure for ever: his name shall be continued as long as the sun: and men shall be blessed in him: all nations shall call him blessed.

18.Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things.

19.And blessed be his glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with his glory; Amen, and Amen.

20.The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.

Asked of Guide

Why does Psalm 72 keep returning to care for the poor and oppressed?

Psalm 72 casts the king as God’s agent whose rule is measured by justice for the vulnerable: “He shall judge the poor of the people” and “shall deliver the needy when he crieth.” The poem links righteous governance to concrete relief — saving children of the needy, breaking the oppressor, valuing the blood of the poor — so the king’s glory is the people’s well‑being.

The psalm imagines global and lasting effects of such justice: peace like rain, dominion “from sea to sea,” and a name that endures as long as the sun. This mirrors themes in Isaiah, where righteous rule brings international shalom and defenders of the weak (see Isaiah 11).

Guide is the guide inside the Gnosis app, where every book on these shelves is free to read. Guide is the part you pay for — your guide has read all of them, and answers about the passage you’re actually on. Ask your guide your own question.