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.
“For the leader of the music. Upon the Shushan-Eduth. A psalm of Asaph.” Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel! Thou who leadest Joseph like a flock, Thou who sittest between the cherubs, 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 Manasseh, stir up thy strength, And come and save us!
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.]
Bring us back, O God! And cause thy face to 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, God of hosts! How long wilt thou be angry 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!
For thou causest them to eat the bread of tears, And givest them tears to drink, in full 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 hast made us the object of strife to our neighbors, And our enemies hold us in derision.
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!
Bring us back, O God of hosts! And cause thy face to 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.
Thou didst bring a vine out of Egypt; Thou didst expel the nations, and plant 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 prepare a place for it; It spread its roots, and filled 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 its branches were like 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 boughs 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 hast thou now broken down its hedges, So that all who pass by do pluck from it?
13 and wild pigs [can] trample [the vines], and wild animals [can also] eat [the grapes].
The boar from the wood doth waste it, And the wild beast of the forest doth devour 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, we beseech thee, Look down from heaven, and behold, And have regard to this vine!
15 who are [like] the young vine that you [SYN] planted and caused to grow!
Protect what thy right hand planted; The branch which thou madest 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 cut down; Under thy rebuke they perish.
17 But strengthen [us] people whom you have chosen [IDM], [us] Israeli people whom you [previously] caused to be very strong.
May thy hand be over the man of thy right hand, The man whom thou madest 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.
So will we no more turn back from thee: Revive us, and upon thy name alone will we call!
19 Yahweh, commander of the armies of heaven, restore us; be kind to us in order that we may be rescued [from our enemies]!
Bring us back, O LORD, God of hosts! And cause thy face to shine, that we may he saved!
