Psalm 79

Faith amid Confusion

A psalm of Asaph.(A)

God, the nations have invaded Your inheritance,
desecrated Your holy temple,
and turned Jerusalem into ruins.(B)
They gave the corpses of Your servants
to the birds of the sky for food,
the flesh of Your godly ones
to the beasts of the earth.(C)
They poured out their blood
like water all around Jerusalem,
and there was no one to bury them.(D)
We have become an object of reproach
to our neighbors,
a source of mockery and ridicule
to those around us.(E)

How long, Yahweh? Will You be angry forever?
Will Your jealousy keep burning like fire?(F)
Pour out Your wrath on the nations
that don’t acknowledge You,
on the kingdoms that don’t call on Your name,(G)
for they have devoured Jacob
and devastated his homeland.(H)
Do not hold past sins[a] against us;
let Your compassion come to us quickly,
for we have become weak.(I)

God of our salvation, help us(J)
for the glory of Your name.
Deliver us and atone for[b] our sins,
because of Your name.(K)
10 Why should the nations ask,
“Where is their God?”(L)
Before our eyes,
let vengeance for the shed blood of Your servants
be known among the nations.(M)
11 Let the groans of the prisoners reach You;
according to Your great power,
preserve those condemned to die.(N)

12 Pay back sevenfold to our neighbors(O)
the reproach they have hurled at You, Lord.(P)
13 Then we, Your people, the sheep of Your pasture,(Q)
will thank You forever;
we will declare Your praise
to generation after generation.(R)

Psalm 80

A Prayer for Restoration

For the choir director: according to “The Lilies.”[c] A testimony of Asaph.(S) A psalm.

Listen, Shepherd of Israel,
who leads Joseph like a flock;(T)
You who sit enthroned on the cherubim,(U)
rise up(V)
before Ephraim,
Benjamin, and Manasseh.[d](W)
Rally Your power and come to save us.(X)
Restore us, God;
look on us with favor,
and we will be saved.(Y)

Lord God of Hosts,
how long will You be angry
with Your people’s prayers?(Z)
You fed them the bread of tears
and gave them a full measure[e]
of tears to drink.(AA)
You make us quarrel with our neighbors;
our enemies make fun of us.(AB)
Restore us, God of Hosts;
look on us with favor, and we will be saved.(AC)

You uprooted a vine from Egypt;
You drove out the nations and planted it.(AD)
You cleared a place for it;
it took root and filled the land.(AE)
10 The mountains were covered by its shade,
and the mighty cedars[f] with its branches.(AF)
11 It sent out sprouts toward the Sea[g]
and shoots toward the River.[h](AG)

12 Why have You broken down its walls
so that all who pass by pick its fruit?(AH)
13 The boar from the forest tears it
and creatures of the field feed on it.(AI)
14 Return, God of Hosts.(AJ)
Look down from heaven and see;
take care of this vine,
15 the root[i] Your right hand has planted,
the shoot[j] that You made strong for Yourself.(AK)
16 It was cut down and burned up;[k]
they[l] perish at the rebuke of Your countenance.(AL)
17 Let Your hand be with the man at Your right hand,
with the son of man
You have made strong for Yourself.(AM)
18 Then we will not turn away from You;
revive us, and we will call on Your name.(AN)
19 Restore us, Yahweh, the God of Hosts;(AO)
look on us with favor, and we will be saved.(AP)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 79:8 Or hold the sins of past generations
  2. Psalm 79:9 Or and wipe out, or and forgive
  3. Psalm 80:1 Possibly a tune; Pss 45; 60; 69
  4. Psalm 80:2 This is the marching order for the camp of Israel.
  5. Psalm 80:5 Lit a one-third measure
  6. Psalm 80:10 Lit the cedars of God
  7. Psalm 80:11 = the Mediterranean
  8. Psalm 80:11 = the Euphrates
  9. Psalm 80:15 Hb obscure
  10. Psalm 80:15 Or son
  11. Psalm 80:16 Lit burned with fire
  12. Psalm 80:16 Or may they

Psalm 79

A psalm of Asaph.

O God, the nations have invaded your inheritance;(A)
    they have defiled(B) your holy temple,
    they have reduced Jerusalem to rubble.(C)
They have left the dead bodies of your servants
    as food for the birds of the sky,(D)
    the flesh of your own people for the animals of the wild.(E)
They have poured out blood like water
    all around Jerusalem,
    and there is no one to bury(F) the dead.(G)
We are objects of contempt to our neighbors,
    of scorn(H) and derision to those around us.(I)

How long,(J) Lord? Will you be angry(K) forever?
    How long will your jealousy burn like fire?(L)
Pour out your wrath(M) on the nations
    that do not acknowledge(N) you,
on the kingdoms
    that do not call on your name;(O)
for they have devoured(P) Jacob
    and devastated his homeland.

Do not hold against us the sins of past generations;(Q)
    may your mercy come quickly to meet us,
    for we are in desperate need.(R)
Help us,(S) God our Savior,
    for the glory of your name;
deliver us and forgive our sins
    for your name’s sake.(T)
10 Why should the nations say,
    “Where is their God?”(U)

Before our eyes, make known among the nations
    that you avenge(V) the outpoured blood(W) of your servants.
11 May the groans of the prisoners come before you;
    with your strong arm preserve those condemned to die.
12 Pay back into the laps(X) of our neighbors seven times(Y)
    the contempt they have hurled at you, Lord.
13 Then we your people, the sheep of your pasture,(Z)
    will praise you forever;(AA)
from generation to generation
    we will proclaim your praise.

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.(AB)
You who sit enthroned between the cherubim,(AC)
    shine forth before Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh.(AD)
Awaken(AE) your might;
    come and save us.(AF)

Restore(AG) us,(AH) O God;
    make your face shine on us,
    that we may be saved.(AI)

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

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

You transplanted a vine(AP) from Egypt;
    you drove out(AQ) the nations and planted(AR) 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](AS)

12 Why have you broken down its walls(AT)
    so that all who pass by pick its grapes?
13 Boars from the forest ravage(AU) it,
    and insects from the fields feed on it.
14 Return to us, God Almighty!
    Look down from heaven and see!(AV)
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;(AW)
    at your rebuke(AX) your people perish.
17 Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand,
    the son of man(AY) you have raised up for yourself.
18 Then we will not turn away from you;
    revive(AZ) 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

79 O god, the heathen are come into thine inheritance; thy holy temple have they defiled; they have laid Jerusalem on heaps.

The dead bodies of thy servants have they given to be meat unto the fowls of the heaven, the flesh of thy saints unto the beasts of the earth.

Their blood have they shed like water round about Jerusalem; and there was none to bury them.

We are become a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and derision to them that are round about us.

How long, Lord? wilt thou be angry for ever? shall thy jealousy burn like fire?

Pour out thy wrath upon the heathen that have not known thee, and upon the kingdoms that have not called upon thy name.

For they have devoured Jacob, and laid waste his dwelling place.

O remember not against us former iniquities: let thy tender mercies speedily prevent us: for we are brought very low.

Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name: and deliver us, and purge away our sins, for thy name's sake.

10 Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is their God? let him be known among the heathen in our sight by the revenging of the blood of thy servants which is shed.

11 Let the sighing of the prisoner come before thee; according to the greatness of thy power preserve thou those that are appointed to die;

12 And render unto our neighbours sevenfold into their bosom their reproach, wherewith they have reproached thee, O Lord.

13 So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture will give thee thanks for ever: we will shew forth thy praise to all generations.

80 Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth.

Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh stir up thy strength, and come and save us.

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

O Lord God of hosts, how long wilt thou be angry against the prayer of thy people?

Thou feedest them with the bread of tears; and givest them tears to drink in great measure.

Thou makest us a strife unto our neighbours: and our enemies laugh among themselves.

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

Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt: thou hast cast out the heathen, and planted it.

Thou preparedst room before it, and didst cause it to take deep root, and it filled the land.

10 The hills were covered with the shadow of it, and the boughs thereof were like the goodly cedars.

11 She sent out her boughs unto the sea, and her branches unto the river.

12 Why hast thou then broken down her hedges, so that all they which pass by the way do pluck her?

13 The boar out of the wood doth waste it, and the wild beast of the field doth devour it.

14 Return, we beseech thee, O God of hosts: look down from heaven, and behold, and visit this vine;

15 And the vineyard which thy right hand hath planted, and the branch that thou madest strong for thyself.

16 It is burned with fire, it is cut down: they perish at the rebuke of thy countenance.

17 Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, upon the son of man whom thou madest strong for thyself.

18 So will not we go back from thee: quicken us, and we will call upon thy name.

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