Psalm 80-85
Contemporary English Version
(A psalm by Asaph for the music leader. To the tune “Lilies of the Agreement.”)
Help Our Nation
1 (A) Shepherd of Israel, you lead
the descendants of Joseph,
and you sit on your throne
above the winged creatures.[a]
Listen to our prayer
and let your light shine
2 for the tribes of Ephraim,
Benjamin, and Manasseh.
Save us by your power.
3 Our God, make us strong again!
Smile on us and save us.
4 Lord God All-Powerful,
how much longer
will the prayers of your people
make you angry?
5 You gave us tears for food,
and you made us drink them
by the bowlful.
6 Because of you,
our enemies who live nearby
laugh and joke about us.
7 Our God, make us strong again!
Smile on us and save us.
8 We were like a grapevine
you brought out of Egypt.
You chased other nations away
and planted us here.
9 Then you cleared the ground,
and we put our roots deep,
spreading over the land.
10 Shade from this vine covered
the mountains.
Its branches climbed
the mighty cedars
11 and stretched to the sea;
its new growth reached
to the river.[b]
12 Our Lord, why have you
torn down the wall
from around the vineyard?
You let everyone who walks by
pick the grapes.
13 Now the vine is gobbled up
by pigs from the forest
and other wild animals.
14 God All-Powerful,
please do something!
Look down from heaven
and see what's happening
to this vine.
15 With your own hands
you planted its roots,
and you raised it
as your very own.
16 Enemies chopped the vine down
and set it on fire.
Now show your anger
and destroy them.
17 But help the one who sits
at your right side,[c]
the one you raised
to be your very own.
18 Then we will never turn away.
Put new life into us,
and we will worship you.
19 Lord God All-Powerful,
make us strong again!
Smile on us and save us.
(By Asaph for the music leader.[d])
God Makes Us Strong
1 Be happy and shout to God
who makes us strong!
Shout praises to the God
of Jacob.
2 Sing as you play tambourines
and the lovely sounding
stringed instruments.
3 (B) Sound the trumpets and start
the New Moon Festival.[e]
We must also celebrate
when the moon is full.
4 This is the law in Israel,
and it was given to us
by the God of Jacob.
5 The descendants of Joseph
were told to obey it,
when God led them out
from the land of Egypt.
In a voice unknown to me,
I heard someone say:
6 “I lifted the burden
from your shoulder
and took the heavy basket
from your hands.
7 (C) When you were in trouble,
I rescued you,
and from the thunderclouds,
I answered your prayers.
Later I tested you
at Meribah Spring.[f]
8 “Listen, my people,
while I, the Lord,
correct you!
Israel, if you would only
pay attention to me!
9 (D) Don't worship foreign gods
or bow down to gods
you know nothing about.
10 I am the Lord your God.
I rescued you from Egypt.
Just ask, and I will give you
whatever you need.
11 “But, my people, Israel,
you refused to listen,
and you would have nothing
to do with me!
12 So I let you be stubborn
and keep on following
your own advice.
13 “My people, Israel,
if only you would listen
and do as I say!
14 I, the Lord, would quickly
defeat your enemies
with my mighty power.
15 Everyone who hates me
would come crawling,
and that would be the end
of them.
16 But I would feed you
with the finest bread
and with the best honey[g]
until you were full.”
(A psalm by Asaph.)
Please Do Something, God!
1 When all the other gods[h]
have come together,
the Lord God judges them
and says:
2 “How long will you
keep judging unfairly
and favoring evil people?
3 Be fair to the poor
and to orphans.
Defend the helpless
and everyone in need.
4 Rescue the weak and homeless
from the powerful hands
of heartless people.
5 “None of you know
or understand a thing.
You live in darkness,
while the foundations
of the earth tremble.[i]
6 (E) “I, the Most High God, say
that all of you are gods[j]
and also my own children.
7 But you will die,
just like everyone else,
including powerful rulers.”
8 Do something, God!
Judge the nations of the earth;
they belong to you.
(A song and a psalm by Asaph.)
God Rules All the Earth
1 Our God, don't just sit there,
silently doing nothing!
2 Your hateful enemies
are turning against you
and rebelling.
3 They are sly, and they plot
against those you treasure.
4 They say, “Let's wipe out
the nation of Israel
and make sure that no one
remembers its name!”
5 All of them fully agree
in their plans against you,
and among them are
6 Edom and the Ishmaelites;
Moab and the Hagrites;
7 Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek;
Philistia and Phoenicia.[k]
8 Even Assyria has joined forces
with Moab and Ammon.[l]
9 (F) Our Lord, punish all of them
as you punished Midian.
Destroy them, as you destroyed
Sisera and Jabin
at Kishon Creek 10 near Endor,
and let their bodies rot.
11 (G) Treat their leaders as you did
Oreb and Zeeb,
Zebah and Zalmunna.
12 All of them said, “We'll take
God's valuable land!”
13 Our God, scatter them around
like dust in a whirlwind.
14 Just as flames destroy forests
on the mountains,
15 pursue and terrify them
with storms of your own.
16 Make them blush with shame,
until they turn and worship
you, our Lord.
17 Let them be forever ashamed
and confused.
Let them die in disgrace.
18 Make them realize that you
are the Lord Most High,
the only ruler of earth!
(For the music leader.[m] A psalm by the clan of Korah.)
The Joy of Worship
1 Lord God All-Powerful,
your temple is so lovely!
2 Deep in my heart I long
for your temple,
and with all that I am
I sing joyful songs to you.
3 Lord God All-Powerful,
my King and my God,
sparrows find a home
near your altars;
swallows build nests there
to raise their young.
4 You bless everyone
who lives in your house,
and they sing your praises.
5 You bless all who depend
on you for their strength
and all who deeply desire
to visit your temple.
6 When they reach Dry Valley,[n]
springs start flowing,
and the autumn rain fills it
with pools of water.[o]
7 Your people grow stronger,
and you, the God of gods,
will be seen in Zion.
8 Lord God All-Powerful,
the God of Jacob,
please answer my prayer!
9 You are the shield
that protects your people,
and I am your chosen one.
Won't you smile on me?
10 One day in your temple
is better than a thousand
anywhere else.
I would rather serve
in your house,
than live in the homes
of the wicked.
11 Our Lord and our God,
you are like the sun
and also like a shield.
You treat us with kindness
and with honor,
never denying any good thing
to those who live right.
12 Lord God All-Powerful,
you bless everyone
who trusts you.
(A psalm by the clan of Korah for the music leader.)
A Prayer for Peace
1 Our Lord, you have blessed
your land
and made all go well
for Jacob's descendants.
2 You have forgiven the sin
and taken away the guilt
of your people.
3 Your fierce anger is no longer
aimed at us.
4 Our Lord and our God,
you save us!
Please bring us back home
and don't be angry.
5 Will you always be angry
with us and our families?
6 Won't you give us fresh life
and let your people be glad
because of you?
7 Show us your love
and save us!
8 I will listen to you, Lord God,
because you promise peace
to those who are faithful
and no longer foolish.
9 You are ready to rescue
everyone who worships you,
so that you will live with us
in all your glory.
10 Love and loyalty
will come together;
goodness and peace
will unite.
11 Loyalty will sprout
from the ground;
justice will look down
from the sky above.
12 Our Lord, you will bless us;
our land will produce
wonderful crops.
13 Justice will march in front,
making a path
for you to follow.
Footnotes
- 80.1 winged creatures: Two winged creatures made of gold were on the top of the sacred chest and were symbols of the Lord's throne on earth (see Exodus 25.18).
- 80.11 the sea … the river: The Mediterranean Sea and the Euphrates River were part of the ideal boundaries for Israel.
- 80.17 right side: See the note at 16.11.
- Psalm 81 leader: See the note at Psalm 8.
- 81.3 New Moon Festival: Celebrated on the first day of each new moon, which was the beginning of the month. But this may refer to either the New Year celebration or the Harvest Festival. “The moon is full” suggests a festival in the middle of the month.
- 81.7 Meribah Spring: When the people of Israel complained to Moses about the need for water, God commanded Moses to strike a rock with his walking stick, and water came out. The place was then named Massah (“test”) and Meribah (“complaining”).
- 81.16 the best honey: The Hebrew text has “honey from rocks,” referring to honey taken from beehives in holes or cracks in large rocks.
- 82.1 the other gods: This probably refers to the gods of the nations that God defeated, but it could refer to God's servants (angels) in heaven or even to human rulers.
- 82.5 foundations … tremble: In ancient times it was believed that the earth was flat and supported by columns.
- 82.6 all of you are gods: See the note at 82.1.
- 83.7 Phoenicia: The Hebrew text has “Tyre,” the main city in Phoenicia.
- 83.8 Moab and Ammon: The Hebrew text has “the descendants of Lot,” whose older daughter was the mother of the Moabites and whose younger daughter was the mother of the Ammonites (see Genesis 19.30-38).
- Psalm 84 leader: See the note at Psalm 8.
- 84.6 Dry Valley: Or “Balsam Tree Valley.” The exact location is not known.
- 84.6 and … water: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
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