You bring me back from the depths of the earth.

21 You comfort me and make me greater than ever.

22 Because of your faithfulness, O my Elohim , even I will give thanks to you as I play on a lyre.

I will make music with a harp to praise you, O Qedosh Yisrael .

23 My lips will sing with joy when I make music to praise you.

My soul, which you have rescued, also will sing joyfully.

24 My tongue will tell about your righteousness all day long, because those who wanted my downfall have been disgraced and put to shame.

Psalm 72 By Solomon.

1 O Elohim, give the king your justice and the king's sona your righteousness 2 so that he may judge your people with righteousness and your oppressed people with justice.

3 May the mountains bring peace to the people and the hills bring righteousness.

4 May he grant justice to the people who are oppressed.

May he save the children of needy people and crush their oppressor.

5 May they fear you as long as the sun and moon shine- throughout every generation.

6 May he be like rain that falls on freshly cut grass, like showers that water the land.

7 May righteous people blossom in his day.

May there be unlimited peace until the moon no longer shines.

8 May he rule from sea to sea, from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth.

9 May the people of the desert kneel in front of him.

May his enemies lick the dust.

10 May the kings from Tarshish and the islands bring presents.

May the kings from Sheba and Seba bring gifts.

11 May all kings worship him.

May all nations serve him.

12 He will rescue the needy person who cries for help and the oppressed person who has no one's help.

13 He will have pity on the poor and needy and will save the lives of the needy.

14 He will rescue them from oppression and violence.

Their blood will be precious in his sight.

15 May he live long.

May the gold from Sheba be given to him.

May the people pray for him continually.

May they praise him all day long.

16 May there be plenty of grain in the land.

May it wave in the breeze on the mountaintops, its fruit like the treetops of Lebanon.

May those from the city flourish like the grass on the ground.

17 May his name endure forever.

May his name continue as long as the sun shines.

May all nations be blessed through him and call him blessed.

18 Thank Yahweh Elohim , the Elohim of Israel, who alone does miracles.

19 Thanks be to his glorious name forever.

May the whole earth be filled with his glory.

Amen and amen!

20 The prayers by David, son of Jesse, end here.

BOOK THREE.

(Psalms 73-89) Psalm 73 A psalm by Asaph.

1 Elohim is truly good to Israel, to those whose lives are pure.

2 But my feet had almost stumbled.

They had almost slipped 3 because I was envious of arrogant people when I saw the prosperity that wicked people enjoy.

4 They suffer no pain.

Their bodies are healthy.

5 They have no drudgery in their lives like ordinary people.

They are not plagued with problems like others.

6 That is why they wear arrogance like a necklace and acts of violence like clothing.

7 Their eyes peer out from their fat faces,a and their imaginations run wild.

8 They ridicule.

They speak maliciously.

They speak arrogantly about oppression.

9 They verbally attack heaven, and they order people around on earth.

10 That is why Elohim's people turn to wickednessb and swallow their words.

11 Then wicked people ask, "What does Elohim know?"

"Does Elyon know anything?"

12 Look how wicked they are!

They never have a worry.

They grow more and more wealthy.

13 I've received no reward for keeping my life pure and washing my hands of any blame.

14 I'm plagued with problems all day long, and every morning my punishment begins again.

15 If I had said, "I will continue to talk like that,"

I would have betrayed Elohim's people.

16 But when I tried to understand this, it was too difficult for me.

17 Only when I came into Elohim's holy place did I finally understand what would happen to them.

18 You put them in slippery places and make them fall into ruin.

19 They are suddenly destroyed.

They are completely swept away by terror!

20 As someone gets rid of a dream when he wakes up, so you, O Adonay , get rid of the thought of them when you wake up.

21 When my heart was filled with bitterness and my mind was seized with envy, 22 I was stupid, and I did not understand.

I was like a dumb animal in your presence.

23 Yet, I am always with you.

You hold on to my right hand.

24 With your advice you guide me, and in the end you will take me to glory.

25 As long as I have you, I don't need anyone else in heaven or on earth.

26 My body and mind may waste away, but Elohim remains the foundation of my life and my inheritance forever.

27 Without a doubt, those who are far from you will die.

You destroy all who are unfaithful to you.

28 Being united with Elohim is my highest good.

I have made Adonay Yahweh my Machseh so that I may report everything that he has done.

Psalm 74 A maskila by Asaph.

1 Why, O Elohim, have you rejected us forever?

Why does your anger smolder against the sheep in your care?

2 Remember your congregation.

Long ago you made it your own.

You bought this tribe to be your possession.

This tribe is Mount Zion, where you have made your home.

3 Turn your steps towardb these pathetic ruins.

The enemy has destroyed everything in the holy temple.

4 Your opponents have roared inside your meeting place.

They have set up their own emblems as symbols.

5 Starting from its entrance, they hacked away like a woodcutter in a forest.c 6 They smashed all its carved paneling with axes and hatchets.

7 They burned your holy place to the ground.

They dishonored the place where you live among us.

8 They said to themselves, "We will crush them."

They burned every meeting place of El in the land.