For the Chief Musician. To the tune of “The Lilies of the Covenant.” A Psalm by Asaph.
1Hear us, Shepherd of Israel,
You who lead Yusuf1 like a flock,
You who sit above the karubin2, shine forth.
2Before Ephraim and Binyamin3 and Manasseh, stir up your might!
Come to save us!
3Turn us again, God.4
Cause your face to shine,
And we will be saved.
4YAHWEH5 God All-Powerful,
How long will you be angry against the prayer of your people?
5You have fed them with the bread of tears,
And given them tears to drink in large measure.
6You make us a source of contention to our neighbours.
Our enemies laugh among themselves.
7Turn us again, God All-Powerful.
Cause your face to shine,
And we will be saved.
8You brought a vine out of Egypt.
You drove out the nations, and planted it.
9You cleared the ground for it.
It took deep root, and filled the land.
10The mountains were covered with its shadow.
Its boughs were like God’s cedars.
11It sent out its branches to the sea,
Its shoots to the River.
12Why have you broken down its walls,
So that all those who pass by the way pluck it?
13The boar out of the wood ravages it.
The wild animals of the field feed on it.
14Turn again, we beg you, God All-Powerful.
Look down from heaven, and see, and visit this vine,
15The stock which your right hand planted,
The branch that you made strong for yourself.
16It is burned with fire.
It is cut down.
They perish at your rebuke.
17Let your hand be on the man of your right hand,
On the son of man whom you made strong for yourself.
18So we will not turn away from you.
Revive us, and we will call on your Name.
19Turn us again, YAHWEH God All-Powerful.
Cause your face to shine,
And we will be saved.
- 80:1 Yusuf, or Joseph, derived from the Hebrew name Yosef. ↩︎
- 80:1 karubin, an Arabic word based on the plural Hebrew word cherubim, describing a class of angels first mentioned in Genesis 3:24 as living creatures guarding the way to the Garden of Eden after the expulsion of Adam and Hawa. ↩︎
- 80:2 Binyamin, or Benjamin, derived from the Hebrew name Benyamin, meaning “Son of the right hand.” ↩︎
- 80:3 God, in Hebrew elohim, which is related to the Arabic allah. Both words translate correctly as “God,” referring to the one true God. ↩︎
- 80:4 YAHWEH, God’s personal Name revealed to Prophet Musa in the Taurat, Exodus 3:15: ‘God said moreover to Musa, “You shall tell Bani-Israel this, ‘YAHWEH, the God of your fathers, the God of Ibrahim, the God of Ishaq, and the God of Yaqub, has sent me to you.’ This is my Name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered to all generations.”’ ↩︎