THE
BOOK OF PSALMS
Psalms 79-81
A Psalm of Asaph.
1
¶ O God, the heathen have invaded your heritage; they have defiled your holy
temple; they have laid
2
They have given the dead bodies of your servants to the birds of heaven as
food, the flesh of your saints to the beasts of the earth.
3
They have shed their blood like water around
4
We have become an object of reproach to our neighbors, a source of mockery and
ridicule to those who are around us.
5
How long, LORD? will you be angry forever? will your jealousy burn like fire?
6
¶ Pour out your wrath on the heathen who have not known you, and on the
kingdoms that have not called on your name.
7
For they have devoured Jacob, and laid waste to his homeland.
8
Do not hold our fathers’ sins against us: let your tender mercies come to us
soon: for we are helpless.
9
Help us, O God of our salvation, because of your glorious name: deliver us, and
wash away our sins, for your name’s sake.
10
Why should the heathen ask, Where is their God? let
him be known among the heathen while we watch, by your vengeance for the
shed blood of your servants.
11
Let the groaning of the prisoners come before you; by the greatness of your
power keep alive those who are condemned to die;
12
And return the insults which our neighbors have hurled at you, O Lord, sevenfold
into their bosom.
13
Then we your people and the sheep of your pasture will give you thanks forever:
we will proclaim your praise to all generations.
Psalm
80
To the chief Musician, to the tune of
"Lilies", A Psalm of Asaph.
1
¶ Hear us, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock; shine
forth, you who dwell between the cherubim.
2
As you lead Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh stir up your strength, and come and
save us.
3
Restore us, O God, cause your face to shine with favor; and we will be
saved.
4
O LORD God of hosts, how long will you be angry with the prayers of your
people?
5
You have fed them with the bread of tears; and given them tears to drink in
large measure.
6
You set us at strife with our neighbors: and our enemies laugh among
themselves.
7
Restore us, O God of hosts, and cause your face to shine; and we will be saved.
8
¶ You brought a vine out of
9
You cleared the ground before it, and caused it to take deep root, and it filled the land.
10
The hills were covered with its shadow, and its boughs were like the
great cedars.
11
It sent out its branches to the sea, and its branches to the river.
12
Why have you then broken down its hedges, so that all who pass by the
way pick its fruit?
13
The boar from the woods devours it, and the wild beasts of the field feed on
it.
14
Return, we beg you, O God of hosts: look down from heaven, and see, and come to
help this vine;
15
And the vineyard which your right hand planted, and the branch that you
made strong for yourself.
16
May those who burned it with fire, and cut it down: perish at the rebuke
of your angry face.
17
May your hand be on the man at your right hand, on the
son of man whom you made strong for yourself.
18
We have not turned away from you: give us life, and we will call upon your
name.
19
Restore us, O LORD God of hosts, cause your face to
shine; and we will be saved.
Psalm
81
To the chief Musician upon Gittith,
A Psalm of Asaph.
1
¶ Sing aloud to God our strength: make a joyful sound to the God of Jacob.
2
Sing a psalm, and beat the tambourine, play the lyre with its pleasant
sound, and the lute.
3
Blow the trumpet at the new moon, at the time appointed, on our solemn feast day.
4
For this was a statute for
5
He ordained this in Joseph as a testimony, when he went out over the
land of Egypt: where I heard a language that I did not understand.
6
I removed the burden from his shoulder: his hands were delivered from carrying
the baskets.
7
When you called in distress, I delivered you; I answered you from the
thundercloud: I tested you at the waters of Meribah.
Selah.
8
¶ Hear, O my people, and I will warn to you: O Israel, if you will only
listen to me;
9
There must not be any strange god among you; nor shall you worship any strange god.
10
I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the
11
But my people would not hear my voice; and
12
So I gave them up to the desire of their own hearts: and they did what
they pleased.
13
Oh that my people had listened to me, and
14
I would have quickly subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their
adversaries.
15
Then those who hate the LORD would have come cringing before him: and
their defeat would have lasted forever.
16
Then I would have fed