Psalm 80[a]

For the director of music. To the tune of “The Lilies of the Covenant.” Of Asaph. A psalm.

Hear us, Shepherd of Israel,
    you who lead Joseph like a flock.(A)
You who sit enthroned between the cherubim,(B)
    shine forth before Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh.(C)
Awaken(D) your might;
    come and save us.(E)

Restore(F) us,(G) O God;
    make your face shine on us,
    that we may be saved.(H)

How long,(I) Lord God Almighty,
    will your anger smolder(J)
    against the prayers of your people?
You have fed them with the bread of tears;(K)
    you have made them drink tears by the bowlful.(L)
You have made us an object of derision[b] to our neighbors,
    and our enemies mock us.(M)

Restore us, God Almighty;
    make your face shine on us,
    that we may be saved.(N)

You transplanted a vine(O) from Egypt;
    you drove out(P) the nations and planted(Q) it.
You cleared the ground for it,
    and it took root and filled the land.
10 The mountains were covered with its shade,
    the mighty cedars with its branches.
11 Its branches reached as far as the Sea,[c]
    its shoots as far as the River.[d](R)

12 Why have you broken down its walls(S)
    so that all who pass by pick its grapes?
13 Boars from the forest ravage(T) it,
    and insects from the fields feed on it.
14 Return to us, God Almighty!
    Look down from heaven and see!(U)
Watch over this vine,
15     the root your right hand has planted,
    the son[e] you have raised up for yourself.

16 Your vine is cut down, it is burned with fire;(V)
    at your rebuke(W) your people perish.
17 Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand,
    the son of man(X) you have raised up for yourself.
18 Then we will not turn away from you;
    revive(Y) us, and we will call on your name.

19 Restore us, Lord God Almighty;
    make your face shine on us,
    that we may be saved.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 80:1 In Hebrew texts 80:1-19 is numbered 80:2-20.
  2. Psalm 80:6 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text contention
  3. Psalm 80:11 Probably the Mediterranean
  4. Psalm 80:11 That is, the Euphrates
  5. Psalm 80:15 Or branch

18 An unfriendly person pursues selfish ends
    and against all sound judgment starts quarrels.

Fools find no pleasure in understanding
    but delight in airing their own opinions.(A)

When wickedness comes, so does contempt,
    and with shame comes reproach.

The words of the mouth are deep waters,(B)
    but the fountain of wisdom is a rushing stream.

It is not good to be partial to the wicked(C)
    and so deprive the innocent of justice.(D)

The lips of fools bring them strife,
    and their mouths invite a beating.(E)

The mouths of fools are their undoing,
    and their lips are a snare(F) to their very lives.(G)

The words of a gossip are like choice morsels;
    they go down to the inmost parts.(H)

One who is slack in his work
    is brother to one who destroys.(I)

10 The name of the Lord is a fortified tower;(J)
    the righteous run to it and are safe.(K)

11 The wealth of the rich is their fortified city;(L)
    they imagine it a wall too high to scale.

12 Before a downfall the heart is haughty,
    but humility comes before honor.(M)

13 To answer before listening—
    that is folly and shame.(N)

14 The human spirit can endure in sickness,
    but a crushed spirit who can bear?(O)

15 The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge,(P)
    for the ears of the wise seek it out.

16 A gift(Q) opens the way
    and ushers the giver into the presence of the great.

17 In a lawsuit the first to speak seems right,
    until someone comes forward and cross-examines.

18 Casting the lot settles disputes(R)
    and keeps strong opponents apart.

19 A brother wronged(S) is more unyielding than a fortified city;
    disputes are like the barred gates of a citadel.

20 From the fruit of their mouth a person’s stomach is filled;
    with the harvest of their lips they are satisfied.(T)

21 The tongue has the power of life and death,(U)
    and those who love it will eat its fruit.(V)

22 He who finds a wife finds what is good(W)
    and receives favor from the Lord.(X)

23 The poor plead for mercy,
    but the rich answer harshly.

24 One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin,
    but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.(Y)

19 Better the poor whose walk is blameless
    than a fool whose lips are perverse.(Z)

Desire without knowledge is not good—
    how much more will hasty feet miss the way!(AA)

A person’s own folly(AB) leads to their ruin,
    yet their heart rages against the Lord.(AC)

Wealth attracts many friends,
    but even the closest friend of the poor person deserts them.(AD)

A false witness(AE) will not go unpunished,(AF)
    and whoever pours out lies will not go free.(AG)

Many curry favor with a ruler,(AH)
    and everyone is the friend of one who gives gifts.(AI)

The poor are shunned by all their relatives—
    how much more do their friends avoid them!(AJ)
Though the poor pursue them with pleading,
    they are nowhere to be found.[a](AK)

The one who gets wisdom loves life;
    the one who cherishes understanding will soon prosper.(AL)

A false witness will not go unpunished,
    and whoever pours out lies will perish.(AM)

10 It is not fitting for a fool(AN) to live in luxury—
    how much worse for a slave to rule over princes!(AO)

11 A person’s wisdom yields patience;(AP)
    it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.

12 A king’s rage is like the roar of a lion,(AQ)
    but his favor is like dew(AR) on the grass.(AS)

13 A foolish child is a father’s ruin,(AT)
    and a quarrelsome wife is like
    the constant dripping of a leaky roof.(AU)

14 Houses and wealth are inherited from parents,(AV)
    but a prudent wife is from the Lord.(AW)

15 Laziness brings on deep sleep,
    and the shiftless go hungry.(AX)

16 Whoever keeps commandments keeps their life,
    but whoever shows contempt for their ways will die.(AY)

17 Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord,(AZ)
    and he will reward them for what they have done.(BA)

18 Discipline your children, for in that there is hope;
    do not be a willing party to their death.(BB)

19 A hot-tempered person must pay the penalty;
    rescue them, and you will have to do it again.

20 Listen to advice and accept discipline,(BC)
    and at the end you will be counted among the wise.(BD)

21 Many are the plans in a person’s heart,
    but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.(BE)

22 What a person desires is unfailing love[b];
    better to be poor than a liar.

23 The fear of the Lord leads to life;
    then one rests content, untouched by trouble.(BF)

24 A sluggard buries his hand in the dish;
    he will not even bring it back to his mouth!(BG)

25 Flog a mocker, and the simple will learn prudence;
    rebuke the discerning,(BH) and they will gain knowledge.(BI)

26 Whoever robs their father and drives out their mother(BJ)
    is a child who brings shame and disgrace.

27 Stop listening to instruction, my son,(BK)
    and you will stray from the words of knowledge.

28 A corrupt witness mocks at justice,
    and the mouth of the wicked gulps down evil.(BL)

29 Penalties are prepared for mockers,
    and beatings for the backs of fools.(BM)

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 19:7 The meaning of the Hebrew for this sentence is uncertain.
  2. Proverbs 19:22 Or Greed is a person’s shame

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