Prayer for Israel’s Restoration

To the Chief Musician. (A)Set to [a]“The Lilies.” A [b]Testimony of Asaph. A Psalm.

80 Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel,
(B)You who lead Joseph (C)like a flock;
You who dwell between the cherubim, (D)shine forth!
Before (E)Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh,
Stir up Your strength,
And come and save us!

(F)Restore us, O God;
(G)Cause Your face to shine,
And we shall be saved!

O Lord God of hosts,
(H)How long will You be angry
Against the prayer of Your people?
(I)You have fed them with the bread of tears,
And given them tears to drink in great measure.
You have made us a strife to our neighbors,
And our enemies laugh among themselves.

Restore us, O God of hosts;
Cause Your face to shine,
And we shall be saved!

You have brought (J)a vine out of Egypt;
(K)You have cast out the [c]nations, and planted it.
You prepared room for it,
And caused it to take deep root,
And it filled the land.
10 The hills were covered with its shadow,
And the [d]mighty cedars with its (L)boughs.
11 She sent out her boughs to [e]the Sea,
And her branches to [f]the River.

12 Why have You (M)broken down her [g]hedges,
So that all who pass by the way pluck her fruit?
13 The boar out of the woods uproots it,
And the wild beast of the field devours it.

14 Return, we beseech You, O God of hosts;
(N)Look down from heaven and see,
And visit this vine
15 And the vineyard which Your right hand has planted,
And the branch that You made strong (O)for Yourself.
16 It is burned with fire, it is cut down;
(P)They perish at the rebuke of Your countenance.
17 (Q)Let Your hand be upon the man of Your right hand,
Upon the son of man whom You made strong for Yourself.
18 Then we will not turn back from You;
Revive us, and we will call upon Your name.

19 Restore us, O Lord God of hosts;
Cause Your face to shine,
And we shall be saved!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 80:1 Heb. Shoshannim
  2. Psalm 80:1 Heb. Eduth
  3. Psalm 80:8 Gentiles
  4. Psalm 80:10 Lit. cedars of God
  5. Psalm 80:11 The Mediterranean
  6. Psalm 80:11 The Euphrates
  7. Psalm 80:12 walls or fences

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

God, the True Shepherd

11 ‘For thus says the Lord God: “Indeed I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out. 12 As a (A)shepherd seeks out his flock on the day he is among his scattered sheep, so will I seek out My sheep and deliver them from all the places where they were scattered on (B)a cloudy and dark day. 13 And (C)I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land; I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, [a]in the valleys and in all the inhabited places of the country. 14 (D)I will feed them in good pasture, and their fold shall be on the high mountains of Israel. (E)There they shall lie down in a good fold and feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. 15 I will feed My flock, and I will make them lie down,” says the Lord God. 16 (F)“I will seek what was lost and bring back what was driven away, bind up the broken and strengthen what was sick; but I will destroy (G)the fat and the strong, and feed them (H)in judgment.”

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 34:13 Or by the streams

11 “‘For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search for my sheep(A) and look after them. 12 As a shepherd(B) looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness.(C) 13 I will bring them out from the nations and gather(D) them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land.(E) I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in all the settlements in the land.(F) 14 I will tend them in a good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel(G) will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in a rich pasture(H) on the mountains of Israel.(I) 15 I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down,(J) declares the Sovereign Lord.(K) 16 I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up(L) the injured and strengthen the weak,(M) but the sleek and the strong I will destroy.(N) I will shepherd the flock with justice.(O)

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