Sunday, September 23, 2012

A still-awaited ideal world of just and righteous governing

.
Who would have believed that we'd stick with it so long?! Robert Geiss in Athens has led us through almost half of the 150 Psalms at his Psalm Challenge.  Today we complete the second of the five books of Psalms.
It would be a good time for you to jump in and join us!

PSALM 72

1. Of Solomon.

O God, confer Your just rules upon the king, and Your righteousness upon the king’s son;
2. may he judge Your people rightly, and Your lowly ones with justice.
3. May the mountains bring well-being to the people; the hills, righteousness.
4. May he rule the lowly among the people justly, save the children of the poor, and crush the oppressor.
5. May they fear You as long as the sun shines and while the moon lasts, generation through generations.
6. May he be like rain that falls on a mown field, like sprinkling showers of the earth,
7. that the righteous person may flourish in his days and that well-being abound, till the moon is no more.
8. May he reign from sea to sea, from the River to the ends of the earth.
9. Before him may desert tribes kneel, and his enemies lick the dust.
10. May the kings of Tarshish and of distant shores bring forth gifts, kings of Sheba and Seba offer tribute.
11. And may all kings prostrate themselves before him, all nations serve him.

12. For when he saves the poor man who cries out, the lowly who has no one to help him,
13. cares about the needy poor man, saves the lives of the poor,
14. redeems their lives from lawlessness and violence, and holds their blood precious in his eyes,
15. he shall live and be endowed with gold of Sheba; may prayers for him be said always, blessings on him invoked at all times.



16. May abundant grain be on earth, to the tops of the mountains; its crops reverberating like the forest of Lebanon;


and may men sprout up in towns like the earth’s grass.
17. May his name be eternal; while the sun lasts, may his name be re-summoned; and may all nations bless themselves through him, and may they count him happy.

18. Blessed is the LORD, God, God of Israel, who alone works wonders;
19. Blessed is His glorious name eternally; and may His glory fill all the earth. Amen and Amen.

20. The prayers of David, son of Jesse, are ended.
.
Translation by Rabbi Benjamin Segal
Photos:
At the foot of the Jura Mountains, Switzerland.
Click on the photos and then once again to see the kernels in the heads of grain. 
.

8 comments:

  1. An impressive and original mission!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh, your photos are so beautiful and a lovely green color in this grass.

    Best wishes for the week ahead:-)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thank you very much for your effort and kind participation, words !

    Thank you as well for the memories of home where alike fields were less than 10 min away from my home.

    Yes, the colours are wonderful and the second one has the quality of a dream.
    Please have a good new week ahead.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I always enjoy Rabbi Benjamin Segal's translations, and sometimes I go visit to see his commentary as well. Thank you for the opportunity to learn more about the psalm.

    I love those red poppies!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Wonderful entry... Your interpretation of this psalm, with all this wheat grass is very interesting.

    (I'm sorry that for my first participation, I didn't get the principle : I thougt it was any random element of the Bible that had to be illustrated, and when I went on that walk, I had no idea that I will participate to a reading of the Bible.

    I often go to my Church to read a page of the Book ; the Bible is always mysteriously open on a new page that I read, then I go on a walk and take pictures ; the pictures always fit to what I just read...

    I'll do best next week : I'll find the passage in my own Bible and illustrate it with pictures, just as it is good to do it. My own hazard reading of the Bible will be something différent.

    See you next week, and thank you for your welcome.)

    ReplyDelete
  6. (answer on my blog)

    Perhaps you are trying to hard. I mean, I don't really know you so I'm surely completly wrong, but your words inspire this answer, so I give to you :

    Perhaps you try to much to bend what you see to make it match with what you think is good, or just or ethical... Perhaps you don't let the light reach your soul anymore, because you think you already have it...

    Light can't be catch, it can just be breathed. Inspire it, and let it go. Let everything you think go. The feeling of universal comprehension shall come back to you.

    ReplyDelete
  7. 'Tsuki, welcome! We are so glad you are joining in.

    You really got a spectacular "reward" for reading the Bible.

    I love how that works, you read something and then go out and see "signs and wonders" concerning what you just read. It used to work with me too, but not so much these days.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Tsuki, your advice is much appreciated. Merci!

    ReplyDelete


Thanks for your comment!
Comment moderation is on so I will see any new comments even on older posts!