Psalms

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

1Listen to us, Shepherd of Israel. You lead your people like a flock of sheep. You sit on your throne above the winged figures. Show us your light.

Note"Give ear" simply means listen. The "cherubim" are the winged figures carved on the ark of the covenant, the gold chest kept in Israel's most holy place. "Cause thy face to shine," in verses 3, 7, and 19, is a way of asking God to look on someone with favor and kindness.

2Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh stir up thy strength, and come and save us.

2Let Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh see you. Wake up your great power. Come and save us.

3Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.

3Bring us back, God. Look on us with kindness, and we will be saved.

4O LORD God of hosts, how long wilt thou be angry against the prayer of thy people?

4LORD God of armies, how long will you stay angry while your people pray to you?

Note"God of hosts" means God who commands the armies of heaven. It is a title about power, not a name.

5Thou feedest them with the bread of tears; and givest them tears to drink in great measure.

5You have fed them bread made of tears. You have given them tears to drink, bowl after bowl.

6Thou makest us a strife unto our neighbours: and our enemies laugh among themselves.

6You have made us something for our neighbors to fight over. Our enemies laugh at us.

7Turn us again, O God of hosts, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.

7Bring us back, God of armies. Look on us with kindness, and we will be saved.

8Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt: thou hast cast out the heathen, and planted it.

8You dug up a grapevine in Egypt. You drove out the other nations and planted the vine in their land.

9Thou preparedst room before it, and didst cause it to take deep root, and it filled the land.

9You cleared the ground for it. Its roots grew deep, and it spread until it filled the land.

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

10Its shade covered the hills. Its branches reached over the tall cedar trees.

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

11It stretched its branches out to the sea and its young shoots to the river.

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

12So why have you knocked down the wall around it? Now everyone who walks past picks its grapes.

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

13A wild pig from the woods tears it up. Wild animals from the fields eat it.

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

14Come back to us, God of armies, we beg you. Look down from heaven and see. Take care of this vine.

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

15It is the vine your own hand planted. It is the young plant you made strong for yourself.

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

16Your vine has been cut down and burned. Your people die when you look at them in anger.

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

17Put your hand on the man at your right side, the one you made strong for yourself.

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

18Then we will not turn away from you. Give us life again, and we will call on your name.

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

19Bring us back, LORD God of armies. Look on us with kindness, and we will be saved.