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 Chief Musician; set to Shoshannim Eduth. A Psalm of Asaph. Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that sittest upon the cherubim, 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 might, and come to 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.]

Turn us again, O God; and cause thy face to shine, and we shall 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!

Thou hast fed them with the bread of tears, and given them tears to drink in large 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 makest us a strife unto our neighbours: and our enemies laugh among themselves.

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!

Turn us again, O God of hosts; and cause thy face to shine, and we shall 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 broughtest a vine out of Egypt: thou didst drive out the nations, and plantedst 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 preparedst [room] before it, and it took deep root, 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 the shadow of it, and the boughs thereof were [like] cedars of God.

11 [your people ruled all of Canaan], from the [Mediterranean] Sea [in the west] to the [Euphrates] River [in the east].

She sent out her branches unto the sea, and her shoots unto 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 broken down her fences, so that all they which pass by the way do pluck her?

13 and wild pigs [can] trample [the vines], and wild animals [can also] eat [the grapes].

The boar out of the wood doth ravage it, and the wild beasts of the field feed on 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,

Turn again, we beseech thee, O God of hosts: look down from heaven, and behold, and visit this vine,

15 who are [like] the young vine that you [SYN] planted and caused to grow!

And the stock which thy right hand hath planted, and the branch that 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 burned with fire, it is cut down: they perish at the rebuke of thy countenance.

17 But strengthen [us] people whom you have chosen [IDM], [us] Israeli people whom you [previously] caused to be very strong.

Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, upon the son of 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 shall we not go back from thee: quicken thou us, and we will call upon thy name,

19 Yahweh, commander of the armies of heaven, restore us; be kind to us in order that we may be rescued [from our enemies]!

Turn us again, O LORD God of hosts; cause thy face to shine, and we shall be saved.