Psalms 80

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 Joseph's family like a shepherd leads sheep. You sit on your throne above the golden winged creatures. Please shine on us.

Note"Cherubim" are winged creatures. Gold statues of them stood on the special golden box in God's house.

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 strength. Come and save us.

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

3Bring us back to you, God. Look at us kindly. Then 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? Your people keep praying to you.

NoteThe KJV says "God of hosts." A host is an army, so this means God who leads armies.

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

5You gave them tears instead of bread. You gave them a full cup of tears to drink.

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

6You let our neighbors fight with us. Our enemies laugh at us together.

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

7Bring us back to you, God of armies. Look at us kindly. Then 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 grape vine in Egypt and carried it away. You pushed other nations out and planted the vine there.

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

9You cleared the ground so it had room. It grew deep roots. It filled the whole 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 were like tall, strong cedar trees.

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

11It spread its branches out to the sea. Its shoots reached all the way 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 did you break down its walls? Now everyone who walks by picks its grapes.

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

13Wild pigs from the woods tear 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;

14Please come back to us, God of armies. 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.

15Take care of the vine your own hand planted. Take care of the son you made strong.

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 angry look makes them die.

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. He is the son 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 never turn away from you again. Give us life again. We will call your name.

NoteThe KJV says "quicken us." Long ago "quicken" meant to make alive, not to speed up.

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

19Bring us back to you, LORD, God of armies. Look at us kindly. Then we will be saved.