Through My Bible Yr 02 – June 14
Psalms 79 – 80
Psalm 79
They Have Reduced Jerusalem to Rubble
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A psalm by Asaph.
The Destruction and the Disgrace
1Ā God, the nations have invaded your possession.
They have profaned your holy temple.
They have reduced Jerusalem to a heap of ruins.
2Ā They have left the corpses of your servants
as food for the birds of the sky.
They have given the flesh of your favored ones to the wild animals.
3Ā They have poured out their blood like water all over Jerusalem,
and there is no one to bury them.
4Ā We are subjected to contempt by our neighbors,
to mockery and ridicule by those around us.
The Prayer for Justice
5Ā How long, O Lord? Will you stay angry forever?
How long will your jealous anger burn like fire?
6Ā Pour out your wrath on the nations that do not acknowledge you,
on the kingdoms that do not call on your name,
7Ā because they have devoured Jacob,
and they have destroyed his pastureland. [1]
8Ā Do not charge the guilt of our fathers against us.
Hurry, let your compassion come to meet us,
for we are very weak.
9Ā God, who saves us, help us for the glory of your name.
Deliver us and make atonement for our sins for your nameās sake.
10Ā Why should the nations say, āWhere is their God?ā
Before our very eyes, display to the nations
vengeance for the poured-out blood of your servants.
11Ā May the groaning of the prisoner come before you.
According to the great strength of your arm
preserve those doomed to death.
12Ā Pay back into the laps of our neighbors seven times as much scorn
as the scorn that they directed at you, Lord.
13Ā Then we your people, the flock of your pasture, will praise you forever.
From generation to generation we will recount your praise.
Psalm 80
Hear, O Shepherd of Israel
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For the choir director. To āLilies.ā [2] A Testimony. [3] By Asaph. A psalm.
Opening Plea
1Ā O Shepherd of Israel, give ear,
you who lead Joseph like a flock.
You who are seated above the cherubim, shine forth.
2Ā Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh,
stir up your might.
Come with salvation for us.
Refrain
3Ā God, restore us, and make your face shine,
so we will be saved.
The Problem
4Ā Lord God of Armies, how long will your anger smoke
against the prayer of your people?
5Ā You make them eat bread with tears,
and you make them drink tears by the quart. [4]
6Ā You create strife between us and our neighbors,
so our enemies join together in mocking us.
Refrain
7Ā God of Armies, restore us, and make your face shine,
so we will be saved.
Past Blessing
8Ā You brought a vine out from Egypt.
You drove out the nations, and you planted it.
9Ā You cleared a place for it,
and it took root and filled the land.
10Ā The mountains were covered by its shade,
the cedars of God with its branches.
11Ā It sent out its boughs to the Sea, [5]
its shoots as far as the River. [6]
Present Judgment
12Ā Why have you broken down its walls
so that all who pass by pick its fruit?
13Ā A wild boar from the forest tears it up,
and the wild animals [7] feed on it.
Prayer for the King
14Ā God of Armies, return now!
Look down from heaven and see,
and take care of this vine,
15Ā the shoot that your right hand has planted,
the son that you made strong for yourself.
16Ā It is burned with fire like garbage. [8]
Because of the rebuke from your face they perish.
17Ā Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand,
on the son of man whom you have made strong for yourself. [9]
18Ā Then we will not turn away from you.
Cause us to live, and we will call on your name.
Refrain
19Ā Lord God of Armies, restore us, and make your face shine,
so we will be saved.
Footnotes
- Psalm 79:7 Pastureland here is figurative for their homeland.
- Psalm 80:1 This may be the name of the tune.
- Psalm 80:1 Or āLilies of the Testimonyā
- Psalm 80:5 Literally by a third [of a bath?]
- Psalm 80:11 Very likely, the Mediterranean
- Psalm 80:11 The Euphrates
- Psalm 80:13 Or insects
- Psalm 80:16 The Hebrew word translated like garbage is emended by some translations into a verb meaning they cut it down, but this seems unlikely because it would place the cutting down after the burning.
- Psalm 80:17 Though this psalm has a concern for the northern kingdom of Israel, this verse seems to refer to the Davidic king. Faithful northerners still looked for the Messiah, who would come from Judah.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage VersionĀ®, EHVĀ®, Ā© 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.