Psalms 80

1 For the choirmaster. To the tune of “The Lilies of the Covenant.” A Psalm of Asaph. Hear us, O Shepherd of Israel, who leads Joseph like a flock; You who sit enthroned between the cherubim, shine forth

[Yahweh], you [who lead us like] a shepherd leads his flock [of sheep], listen to us Israeli people. You sit on your throne [in the Very Holy Place in the temple], above the [carvings of] winged creatures.

2 before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh. Rally Your mighty power and come to save us.

Show yourself to [the people of the tribes of] Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh! Show us that you are powerful and come and rescue us!

3 Restore us, O God, and cause Your face to shine upon us, that we may be saved.

God, cause our nation to be strong like it was before; be kind to us [IDM] in order that we may be saved [from our enemies.]

4 O LORD God of Hosts, how long will Your anger smolder against the prayers of Your people?

Yahweh, you who are the commander of the armies of heaven, how long will you be angry with us, your people, when we pray to you?

5 You fed them with the bread of tears and made them drink the full measure of their tears.

[It is as though] the only food and drink that you have given us is a cup full of our tears!

6 You make us contend with our neighbors; our enemies mock us.

You have allowed the people-groups that surround us to fight with [each other to decide which part of our land each of them will take]; our enemies laugh at us.

7 Restore us, O God of Hosts, and cause Your face to shine upon us, that we may be saved.

God, commander of the armies of heaven, cause our nation to be strong like it was before! Be kind to us in order that we may be saved!

8 You uprooted a vine from Egypt; You drove out the nations and transplanted it.

[Our ancestors were like] a grapevine [MET] that you brought out of Egypt; you expelled the other people-groups [from this land], and you put your people in their land.

9 You cleared the ground for it, and it took root and filled the land.

[Like people] clear ground to plant a grapevine [MET], [you cleared out the people who were living in this land for us to live in it]. [Like] the roots of a grapevine go deep down into the ground and spread [MET], [you enabled our ancestors to prosper and start living in towns all over this land].

10 The mountains were covered by its shade, and the mighty cedars with its branches.

[Like huge] grapevines cover the hills with their shade and their branches are taller than big cedar [trees] [MET, HYP],

11 It sent out its branches to the Sea, and its shoots toward the River.

[your people ruled all of Canaan], from the [Mediterranean] Sea [in the west] to the [Euphrates] River [in the east].

12 Why have You broken down its walls, so that all who pass by pick its fruit?

So why have you abandoned us and [allowed our enemies to] tear down our walls [RHQ]? [You are like] someone who tears down the fences [around his vineyard], with the result that all [the people] who pass by [can] steal the grapes,

13 The boar from the forest ravages it, and the creatures of the field feed upon it.

and wild pigs [can] trample [the vines], and wild animals [can also] eat [the grapes].

14 Return, O God of Hosts, we pray! Look down from heaven and see! Attend to this vine—

You who are the commander of the armies of heaven, (turn to/stop abandoning) us! Look down from heaven and see [what is happening to] us! Come and rescue [us who are like] [MET] your grapevine,

15 the root Your right hand has planted, the son You have raised up for Yourself.

who are [like] the young vine that you [SYN] planted and caused to grow!

16 Your vine has been cut down and burned; they perish at the rebuke of Your countenance.

Our enemies have torn down and burned everything in our land; look at them angrily and get rid of them!

17 Let Your hand be upon the man at Your right hand, on the son of man You have raised up for Yourself.

But strengthen [us] people whom you have chosen [IDM], [us] Israeli people whom you [previously] caused to be very strong.

18 Then we will not turn away from You; revive us, and we will call on Your name.

When you do that, we will never turn away from you again; (revive us/cause us to be again like we were previously), and [then] we will praise/worship you.

19 Restore us, O LORD God of Hosts; cause Your face to shine upon us, that we may be saved.

Yahweh, commander of the armies of heaven, restore us; be kind to us in order that we may be rescued [from our enemies]!