Bible Browser

Psalm 80

1  Hear, O Shepherd of Israel, ♦︎
   you that led Joseph like a flock;
2  Shine forth, you that are enthroned upon the cherubim, ♦︎
   before Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh.
9  You brought a vine out of Egypt; ♦︎
   you drove out the nations and planted it.
10  You made room around it, ♦︎
   and when it had taken root, it filled the land.
11  The hills were covered with its shadow ♦︎
   and the cedars of God by its boughs.
12  It stretched out its branches to the Sea ♦︎
   and its tendrils to the River.
13  Why then have you broken down its wall, ♦︎
   so that all who pass by pluck off its grapes?
14  The wild boar out of the wood tears it off, ♦︎
   and all the insects of the field devour it.
15  Turn again, O God of hosts, ♦︎
   look down from heaven and behold;
16  Cherish this vine which your right hand has planted, ♦︎
   and the branch that you made so strong for yourself.
17  Let those who burnt it with fire, who cut it down, ♦︎
   perish at the rebuke of your countenance.
18  Let your hand be upon the man at your right hand, ♦︎
   the son of man you made so strong for yourself.
19  And so will we not go back from you; ♦︎
   give us life, and we shall call upon your name.
20  Turn us again, O Lord God of hosts; ♦︎
   show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.

3For now the Sovereign, the Lord of hosts,
   is taking away from Jerusalem and from Judah
support and staff—
   all support of bread,
   and all support of water—
² warrior and soldier,
   judge and prophet,
   diviner and elder,
³ captain of fifty
   and dignitary,
counsellor and skilful magician
   and expert enchanter.
⁴ And I will make boys their princes,
   and babes shall rule over them.
⁵ The people will be oppressed,
   everyone by another
   and everyone by a neighbour;
the youth will be insolent to the elder,
   and the base to the honourable.

⁶ Someone will even seize a relative,
   a member of the clan, saying,
‘You have a cloak;
   you shall be our leader,
and this heap of ruins
   shall be under your rule.’
⁷ But the other will cry out on that day, saying,
‘I will not be a healer;
   in my house there is neither bread nor cloak;
you shall not make me
   leader of the people.’
⁸ For Jerusalem has stumbled
   and Judah has fallen,
because their speech and their deeds are against the Lord,
   defying his glorious presence.

⁹ The look on their faces bears witness against them;
   they proclaim their sin like Sodom,
   they do not hide it.
Woe to them!
   For they have brought evil on themselves.
¹⁰ Tell the innocent how fortunate they are,
   for they shall eat the fruit of their labours.
¹¹ Woe to the guilty! How unfortunate they are,
   for what their hands have done shall be done to them.
¹² My people—children are their oppressors,
   and women rule over them.
O my people, your leaders mislead you,
   and confuse the course of your paths.

¹³ The Lord rises to argue his case;
   he stands to judge the peoples.
¹⁴ The Lord enters into judgement
   with the elders and princes of his people:
It is you who have devoured the vineyard;
   the spoil of the poor is in your houses.
¹⁵ What do you mean by crushing my people,
   by grinding the face of the poor? says the Lord God of hosts.

¹⁶ The Lord said:
Because the daughters of Zion are haughty
   and walk with outstretched necks,
   glancing wantonly with their eyes,
mincing along as they go,
   tinkling with their feet;
¹⁷ the Lord will afflict with scabs
   the heads of the daughters of Zion,
   and the Lord will lay bare their secret parts.

32 But recall those earlier days when, after you had been enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, ³³sometimes being publicly exposed to abuse and persecution, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. ³⁴For you had compassion for those who were in prison, and you cheerfully accepted the plundering of your possessions, knowing that you yourselves possessed something better and more lasting. ³⁵Do not, therefore, abandon that confidence of yours; it brings a great reward. ³⁶For you need endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. ³⁷For yet
‘in a very little while,
   the one who is coming will come and will not delay;
³⁸ but my righteous one will live by faith.
   My soul takes no pleasure in anyone who shrinks back.’
³⁹But we are not among those who shrink back and so are lost, but among those who have faith and so are saved.