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 musician upon Shoshannim; an 'Eduth by Assaph; a psalm.” O Shepherd of Israel, give ear, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth.
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 Menasseh awaken thy might, and come to our help.
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.]
O God, cause us to return, and let thy countenance shine, that we may be saved.
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 of hosts, how long shall thy anger smoke against the prayer of thy people?
5 [It is as though] the only food and drink that you have given us is a cup full of our tears!
Thou feedest them with the bread of tears, and givest them tears to drink 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.
Thou renderest us a contest unto our neighbors: and our enemies hold derision 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!
O God of hosts, cause us to return, and let thy countenance shine, that we may be saved.
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.
A vine didst thou remove out of Egypt: thou drovest out nations, and plantedst it.
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].
Thou didst clear out a place before it, and it struck its root deeply, and it filled the land.
10 [Like huge] grapevines cover the hills with their shade and their branches are taller than big cedar [trees] [MET, HYP],
Mountains were covered with its shadow, and with its boughs the cedars of God.
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 tendrils as far as the sea, and unto the river its suckers.
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,
Wherefore hast thou now broken down its fences, so that all who pass by the way pluck the fruit from it?
13 and wild pigs [can] trample [the vines], and wild animals [can also] eat [the grapes].
The boar out of the forest doth gnaw at it, and what moveth on the field feedeth on 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,
O God of hosts, return; I pray thee, look down from heaven, and behold, and think of this vine;
15 who are [like] the young vine that you [SYN] planted and caused to grow!
And of the sprout which thy right hand hath planted, and of the branch that thou hast made strong for thyself.
16 Our enemies have torn down and burned everything in our land; look at them angrily and get rid of them!
It is burnt with fire, it is hewn down; because of the rebuke of thy countenance do they perish.
17 But strengthen [us] people whom you have chosen [IDM], [us] Israeli people whom you [previously] caused to be very strong.
Let thy hand be over the man of thy right hand, over the son of man whom thou hast made strong for thyself.
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.
Then will we not swerve from thee: revive us again, and we will call on thy 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]!
O Lord God of hosts, cause us to return: let thy countenance shine, that we may be saved.
