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Psalm 79-81
Amplified Bible
Psalm 79-81
Amplified Bible
A Lament over the Destruction of Jerusalem, and Prayer for Help.
A Psalm of Asaph.
79 O God, the nations have invaded [the land of Your people] Your inheritance;
They have defiled Your sacred temple;
They have laid Jerusalem in ruins.
2
They have given the dead bodies of Your servants as food to the birds of the heavens,
The flesh of Your godly ones to the beasts of the earth.
3
They have poured out their blood like water all around Jerusalem,
And there was no one to bury them.
4
We have become an object of taunting to our neighbors [because of our humiliation],
A derision and mockery to those who encircle us.
5
How long, O Lord? Will You be angry forever?
Will Your jealousy [which cannot endure a divided allegiance] burn like fire?
6
Pour out Your wrath on the [Gentile] nations that do not know You,
And on the kingdoms that do not call on Your name.(A)
7
For they have devoured Jacob
And made his pasture desolate.
8
O do not remember against us the sins and guilt of our forefathers.
Let Your compassion and mercy come quickly to meet us,
For we have been brought very low.
9
Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of Your name;
Rescue us, forgive us our sins for Your name’s sake.
10
Why should the [Gentile] nations say, “Where is their God?”
Let there be known [without delay] among the nations in our sight [and to this generation],
Your vengeance for the blood of Your servants which has been poured out.
11
Let the groaning and sighing of the prisoner come before You;
According to the greatness of Your power keep safe those who are doomed to die.
12
And return into the lap of our neighbors sevenfold
The taunts with which they have taunted You, O Lord.
13
So we Your people, the sheep of Your pasture,
Will give You thanks forever;
We will declare and publish Your praise from generation to generation.
God Implored to Rescue His People from Their Calamities.
To the Chief Musician; set to [the tune of] “Lilies, a Testimony.” A Psalm of Asaph.
80 Hear us O Shepherd of Israel,
You who lead Joseph like a flock;
You who sit enthroned above the cherubim [of the ark of the covenant], shine forth!
2
Before [a]Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh, stir up Your power
And come to save us!
3
Restore us, O God;
Cause Your face to shine on us [with favor and approval], and we will be saved.
4
O Lord God of hosts,
How long will You be angry with the prayers of Your people?
5
You have fed them the bread of tears,
And You have made them drink [bitter] tears in abundance.
6
You make us an object of contention to our neighbors,
And our enemies laugh [at our suffering] among themselves.
7
Restore us, O God of hosts;
And cause Your face to shine on us [with favor and approval], and we will be saved.
8
You uprooted a vine (Israel) from Egypt;
You drove out the [Canaanite] nations and planted the vine [in Canaan].
9
You cleared away the ground before it,
And it took deep root and filled the land.
10
The mountains were covered with its shadow,
And its branches were like the cedars of God.
11
Israel sent out its branches to the [Mediterranean] Sea,
And its branches to the [Euphrates] River.(B)
12
Why have You broken down its [b]walls and hedges,
So that all who pass by pick its fruit?
13
A boar from the woods eats it away,
And the insects of the field feed on it.
14
Turn again [in favor to us], O God of hosts;
Look down from heaven and see, and take care of this vine,
15
Even the stock which Your right hand has planted,
And [look down on] the son that You have reared and strengthened for Yourself.
16
It is burned with fire, it is cut down;
They perish at the rebuke of Your [angry] appearance.
17
Let Your hand be upon the man of Your right hand,
Upon the son of man whom You have made strong for Yourself.
18
Then we shall not turn back from You;
Revive us and we will call on Your name.
19
Restore us, O Lord God of hosts;
Cause Your face to shine on us [in favor and approval], and we shall be saved.
God’s Goodness and Israel’s Waywardness.
To the Chief Musician; set to the [c]Philistine lute. A Psalm of Asaph.
81 Sing aloud to God our strength;
Shout for joy to the God of Jacob (Israel).
2
Raise a song, sound the timbrel,
The sweet sounding lyre with the harp.
3
Blow the trumpet at the New Moon,
At the [d]full moon, on our feast day.
4
For this is a statute for Israel,
An ordinance of the God of Jacob.
5
He established it for a testimony in [e]Joseph
When He went throughout the land of Egypt.
I heard the language [of One whom] I did not know, saying,
6
“I removed the burden from his shoulder;
His hands were freed from the basket.
7
“You called in [the time of] trouble and I rescued you;
I answered you in the secret place of thunder;
I tested you at the waters of Meribah.(C) Selah.
8
“Hear, O My people, and I will admonish you—
O Israel, if you would listen to Me!
9
“Let there be no strange god among you,
Nor shall you worship any foreign god.
10
“I am the Lord your God,
Who brought you up from the land of Egypt.
Open your mouth wide and I will fill it.
11
“But My people would not listen to My voice,
And Israel did not [consent to] obey Me.
12
“So I gave them up to the stubbornness of their heart,
To walk in [the path of] their own counsel.(D)
13
“Oh, that My people would listen to Me,
That Israel would walk in My ways!
14
“Then I would quickly subdue and humble their enemies
And turn My hand against their adversaries;
15
Those who hate the Lord would pretend obedience to Him and cringe before Him,
And their time of punishment would be forever.
16
“But I would feed Israel with the finest of the wheat;
And with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”
Footnotes
- Psalm 80:2 It is believed that these three tribes represented all twelve tribes of Israel, Benjamin being incorporated into Judah, Manasseh inhabiting the country beyond the Jordan, and Ephraim the remainder of the land. It was natural for the Israelites to think of the three in one group, for they had camped together on the west side of the tabernacle during the years in the wilderness, and they were also the only descendants of Jacob’s wife Rachel.
- Psalm 80:12 I.e. dry-stone walls, built without mortar from loose stones in the fields.
- Psalm 81:1 A technical musical term, meaning uncertain.
- Psalm 81:3 Or New Moon, lit covering, i.e. when the moon is “covered” or hidden. This was taken by the ancient rabbis to refer to the festival of the Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashana).
- Psalm 81:5 Curiously, in this one verse Joseph’s name has an extra letter, an “h.” In an example of rabbinic lore, the ancient rabbis said that because Joseph sanctified the divine name in private (by resisting Potiphar’s wife) he merited having one letter of the divine name (Yahweh) added to his. Another rabbinic explanation is that when Pharaoh was about to elevate Joseph to power, the astrologers demanded that Joseph speak the 70 languages of the world. The angel Gabriel came to teach him, but Joseph was unable until Gabriel added to his name the extra letter from the divine name.
Psalm 79-81
New International Version
Psalm 79-81
New International Version
Psalm 79
A psalm of Asaph.
1 O God, the nations have invaded your inheritance;(A)
they have defiled(B) your holy temple,
they have reduced Jerusalem to rubble.(C)
2 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)
3 They have poured out blood like water
all around Jerusalem,
and there is no one to bury(F) the dead.(G)
4 We are objects of contempt to our neighbors,
of scorn(H) and derision to those around us.(I)
5 How long,(J) Lord? Will you be angry(K) forever?
How long will your jealousy burn like fire?(L)
6 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)
7 for they have devoured(P) Jacob
and devastated his homeland.
8 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)
9 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.
1 Hear us, Shepherd of Israel,
you who lead Joseph like a flock.(AB)
You who sit enthroned between the cherubim,(AC)
shine forth 2 before Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh.(AD)
Awaken(AE) your might;
come and save us.(AF)
4 How long,(AJ) Lord God Almighty,
will your anger smolder(AK)
against the prayers of your people?
5 You have fed them with the bread of tears;(AL)
you have made them drink tears by the bowlful.(AM)
6 You have made us an object of derision[b] to our neighbors,
and our enemies mock us.(AN)
7 Restore us, God Almighty;
make your face shine on us,
that we may be saved.(AO)
8 You transplanted a vine(AP) from Egypt;
you drove out(AQ) the nations and planted(AR) it.
9 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.
Psalm 81[f]
For the director of music. According to gittith.[g] Of Asaph.
1 Sing for joy to God our strength;
shout aloud to the God of Jacob!(BA)
2 Begin the music, strike the timbrel,(BB)
play the melodious harp(BC) and lyre.(BD)
3 Sound the ram’s horn(BE) at the New Moon,(BF)
and when the moon is full, on the day of our festival;
4 this is a decree for Israel,
an ordinance of the God of Jacob.(BG)
5 When God went out against Egypt,(BH)
he established it as a statute for Joseph.
I heard an unknown voice say:(BI)
6 “I removed the burden(BJ) from their shoulders;(BK)
their hands were set free from the basket.
7 In your distress you called(BL) and I rescued you,
I answered(BM) you out of a thundercloud;
I tested you at the waters of Meribah.[h](BN)
8 Hear me, my people,(BO) and I will warn you—
if you would only listen to me, Israel!
9 You shall have no foreign god(BP) among you;
you shall not worship any god other than me.
10 I am the Lord your God,
who brought you up out of Egypt.(BQ)
Open(BR) wide your mouth and I will fill(BS) it.
11 “But my people would not listen to me;
Israel would not submit to me.(BT)
12 So I gave them over(BU) to their stubborn hearts
to follow their own devices.
13 “If my people would only listen to me,(BV)
if Israel would only follow my ways,
14 how quickly I would subdue(BW) their enemies
and turn my hand against(BX) their foes!
15 Those who hate the Lord would cringe(BY) before him,
and their punishment would last forever.
16 But you would be fed with the finest of wheat;(BZ)
with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”
Footnotes
- Psalm 80:1 In Hebrew texts 80:1-19 is numbered 80:2-20.
- Psalm 80:6 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text contention
- Psalm 80:11 Probably the Mediterranean
- Psalm 80:11 That is, the Euphrates
- Psalm 80:15 Or branch
- Psalm 81:1 In Hebrew texts 81:1-16 is numbered 81:2-17.
- Psalm 81:1 Title: Probably a musical term
- Psalm 81:7 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
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