Psalms 80
1 [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.
To the chief music-maker; put to Shoshannim-eduth. Of Asaph. A Psalm. Give ear, O Keeper of Israel, guiding Joseph like a flock; you who have your seat on the winged ones, let your glory be seen.
2 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!
Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh, let your strength be awake from sleep, and come as our salvation.
3 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.]
Take us back again, O God; let us see the shining of your face, and let us be safe.
4 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?
O Lord God of armies, how long will your wrath be burning against the rest of your people?
5 [It is as though] the only food and drink that you have given us is a cup full of our tears!
You have given them the bread of weeping for food; for their drink you have given them sorrow in great measure.
6 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.
You make us a cause of war among our neighbours; our haters are laughing at us among themselves.
7 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!
Take us back again, O God of armies; let us see the shining of your face, and let us be safe.
8 [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.
You took a vine out of Egypt: driving out the nations, and planting it in their land.
9 [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].
You made ready a place for it, so that it might take deep root, and it sent out its branches over all the land.
10 [Like huge] grapevines cover the hills with their shade and their branches are taller than big cedar [trees] [MET, HYP],
The mountains were covered with its shade, and the great trees with its branches.
11 [your people ruled all of Canaan], from the [Mediterranean] Sea [in the west] to the [Euphrates] River [in the east].
It sent out its arms to the Sea, and its branches to the River.
12 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,
Why are its walls broken down by your hands, so that all who go by may take its fruit?
13 and wild pigs [can] trample [the vines], and wild animals [can also] eat [the grapes].
It is uprooted by the pigs from the woods, the beasts of the field get their food from it.
14 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,
Come back, O God of armies: from heaven let your eyes be turned to this vine, and give your mind to it,
15 who are [like] the young vine that you [SYN] planted and caused to grow!
Even to the tree which was planted by your right hand, and to the branch which you made strong for yourself.
16 Our enemies have torn down and burned everything in our land; look at them angrily and get rid of them!
It is burned with fire; it is cut down: they are made waste by the wrath of your face.
17 But strengthen [us] people whom you have chosen [IDM], [us] Israeli people whom you [previously] caused to be very strong.
Let your hand be on the man of your right hand, on the son of man whom you made strong for yourself.
18 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.
So will we not be turned back from you; keep us in life, and we will give praise to your name.
19 Yahweh, commander of the armies of heaven, restore us; be kind to us in order that we may be rescued [from our enemies]!
Take us back, O Lord God of armies; let us see the shining of your face, and let us be safe.
