Add parallel Print Page Options

A Prayer for the Nation's Restoration[a]

80 (A)Listen to us, O Shepherd of Israel;
    hear us, leader of your flock.
Seated on your throne above the winged creatures,
    reveal yourself to the tribes of Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh.
Show us your strength;
    come and save us!

Bring us back, O God!
    Show us your mercy, and we will be saved!

How much longer, Lord God Almighty,
    will you be angry with your people's prayers?
You have given us sorrow to eat,
    a large cup of tears to drink.
You let the surrounding nations fight over our land;
    our enemies insult us.

Bring us back, Almighty God!
    Show us your mercy, and we will be saved!

You brought a grapevine out of Egypt;
    you drove out other nations and planted it in their land.
You cleared a place for it to grow;
    its roots went deep, and it spread out over the whole land.
10 It covered the hills with its shade;
    its branches overshadowed the giant cedars.
11 It extended its branches to the Mediterranean Sea
    and as far as the Euphrates River.
12 Why did you break down the fences around it?
    Now anyone passing by can steal its grapes;
13     wild hogs trample it down,
    and wild animals feed on it.

14 Turn to us, Almighty God!
    Look down from heaven at us;
    come and save your people!
15 Come and save this grapevine that you planted,
    this young vine you made grow so strong!

16 Our enemies have set it on fire and cut it down;
    look at them in anger and destroy them!
17 Preserve and protect the people you have chosen,
    the nation you made so strong.
18 We will never turn away from you again;
    keep us alive, and we will praise you.

19 Bring us back, Lord God Almighty.
    Show us your mercy, and we will be saved.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 80:1 HEBREW TITLE: A psalm by Asaph; a testimony.

Psalm 80

Prayer for Israel’s Restoration

To the leader: on Lilies, a Covenant. Of Asaph. A Psalm.

Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel,
    you who lead Joseph like a flock!
You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth(A)
    before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh.
Stir up your might,
    and come to save us!(B)

Restore us, O God;
    let your face shine, that we may be saved.(C)

O Lord God of hosts,
    how long will you be angry with your people’s prayers?(D)
You have fed them with the bread of tears
    and given them tears to drink in full measure.(E)
You make us the scorn[a] of our neighbors;
    our enemies laugh among themselves.(F)

Restore us, O God of hosts;
    let your face shine, that we may be saved.

You brought a vine out of Egypt;
    you drove out the nations and planted it.(G)
You cleared the ground for it;
    it took deep root and filled the land.(H)
10 The mountains were covered with its shade,
    the mighty cedars with its branches;
11 it sent out its branches to the sea
    and its shoots to the River.
12 Why then have you broken down its walls,
    so that all who pass along the way pluck its fruit?(I)
13 The boar from the forest ravages it,
    and all that move in the field feed on it.(J)

14 Turn again, O God of hosts;
    look down from heaven and see;
have regard for this vine,(K)
15     the stock that your right hand planted.[b]
16 It has been burned with fire; it has been cut down;
    may they perish at the rebuke of your countenance.(L)
17 But let your hand be upon the one at your right hand,
    the one whom you made strong for yourself.(M)
18 Then we will never turn back from you;
    give us life, and we will call on your name.(N)

19 Restore us, O Lord God of hosts;
    let your face shine, that we may be saved.

Footnotes

  1. 80.6 Syr: Heb strife
  2. 80.15 Heb adds from 80.17 and upon the one whom you made strong for yourself

80 (0) For the leader. Set to “Lilies.” A testimony. A psalm of Asaf:

(1) Shepherd of Isra’el, listen!
You who lead Yosef like a flock,
you whose throne is on the k’ruvim,
shine out!
(2) Before Efrayim, Binyamin and M’nasheh,
rouse your power; and come to save us.
(3) God, restore us!
Make your face shine, and we will be saved.

(4) Adonai, God of armies, how long
will you be angry with your people’s prayers?
(5) You have fed them tears as their bread
and made them drink tears in abundance.
(6) You make our neighbors fight over us,
and our enemies mock us.
(7) God of armies, restore us!
Make your face shine, and we will be saved.

(8) You brought a vine out of Egypt,
you expelled the nations and planted it,
10 (9) you cleared a space for it;
then it took root firmly and filled the land.
11 (10) The mountains were covered with its shade,
the mighty cedars with its branches;
12 (11) It put out branches as far as the sea
and shoots to the [Euphrates] River.

13 (12) Why did you break down [the vineyard’s] wall,
so that all passing by can pluck [its fruit]?
14 (13) The boar from the forest tears it apart;
wild creatures from the fields feed on it.

15 (14) God of armies, please come back!
Look from heaven, see, and tend this vine!
16 (15) Protect what your right hand planted,
the son you made strong for yourself.
17 (16) It is burned by fire, it is cut down;
they perish at your frown of rebuke.
18 (17) Help the man at your right hand,
the son of man you made strong for yourself.

19 (18) Then we won’t turn away from you —
if you revive us, we will call on your name.
20 (19) Adonai, God of armies, restore us!
Make your face shine, and we will be saved.

80 1-2 Listen, Shepherd, Israel’s Shepherd—
    get all your Joseph sheep together.
Throw beams of light
    from your dazzling throne
So Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh
    can see where they’re going.
Get out of bed—you’ve slept long enough!
    Come on the run before it’s too late.

    God, come back!
    Smile your blessing smile:
    That will be our salvation.

4-6 God, God-of-the-Angel-Armies,
    how long will you smolder like a sleeping volcano
    while your people call for fire and brimstone?
You put us on a diet of tears,
    bucket after bucket of salty tears to drink.
You make us look ridiculous to our friends;
    our enemies poke fun day after day.

    God-of-the-Angel-Armies, come back!
    Smile your blessing smile:
    That will be our salvation.

8-18 Remember how you brought a young vine from Egypt,
    cleared out the brambles and briers
    and planted your very own vineyard?
You prepared the good earth,
    you planted her roots deep;
    the vineyard filled the land.
Your vine soared high and shaded the mountains,
    even dwarfing the giant cedars.
Your vine ranged west to the Sea,
    east to the River.
So why do you no longer protect your vine?
    Trespassers pick its grapes at will;
Wild pigs crash through and crush it,
    and the mice nibble away at what’s left.
God-of-the-Angel-Armies, turn our way!
    Take a good look at what’s happened
    and attend to this vine.
Care for what you once tenderly planted—
    the vine you raised from a shoot.
And those who dared to set it on fire—
    give them a look that will kill!
Then take the hand of your once-favorite child,
    the child you raised to adulthood.
We will never turn our back on you;
    breathe life into our lungs so we can shout your name!

19     God, God-of-the-Angel-Armies, come back!
    Smile your blessing smile:
    That will be our salvation.