Psalms 80; Psalms 81; Psalms 82; Psalms 83; Psalms 84; Psalms 85

Psalms 80

1 Shepherd of Israel, hear us. You lead the people of Joseph like a flock. You sit on your throne between the cherubim. Show your glory

2 to the people of Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh. Call your strength into action. Come and save us.

3 God, make us new again. Let your face smile on us with favor. Then we will be saved.

4 LORD God who rules over all, how long will your anger burn against the prayers of your people?

5 You have given us tears as our food. You have made us drink tears by the bowlful.

6 You have let our neighbors fight against us. Our enemies laugh at us.

7 God who rules over all, make us new again. Let your face smile on us with favor. Then we will be saved.

8 You brought Israel out of Egypt. Israel was like a vine. After you drove the nations out of Canaan, you planted the vine in their land.

9 You prepared the ground for it. It took root and spread out over the whole land.

10 The mountains were covered with its shade. The shade of its branches covered the mighty cedar trees.

11 Your vine sent its branches out all the way to the Mediterranean Sea. They reached as far as the Euphrates River.

12 Why have you broken down the walls around your vine? Now all who pass by it can pick its grapes.

13 Wild pigs from the forest destroy it. The creatures of the field feed on it.

14 God who rules over all, return to us! Look down from heaven and see us! Watch over your vine.

15 Guard the root you have planted with your powerful right hand. Take care of the branch you have raised up for yourself.

16 Your vine has been cut down. Fire has burned it up. You have been angry with us, and we are dying.

17 May you honor the people at your right hand. May you honor the nation you have raised up for yourself.

18 Then we won't turn away from you. Give us new life. We will worship you.

19 LORD God who rules over all, make us new again. Let your face smile on us with favor. Then we will be saved.

Psalms 81

1 Sing joyfully to God! He gives us strength. Give a loud shout to the God of Jacob!

2 Let the music begin. Play the tambourines. Play sweet music on harps and lyres.

3 Blow the ram's horn on the day of the New Moon Feast. Blow it again when the moon is full and the Feast of Booths begins.

4 This is an order given to Israel. It is a law of the God of Jacob.

5 He gave it as a covenant law for the people of Joseph when God went out to punish Egypt. There we heard a language we didn't understand.

6 God said, "I removed the load from your shoulders. I set your hands free from carrying heavy baskets.

7 You called out when you were in trouble, and I saved you. I answered you out of a thundercloud. I put you to the test at the waters of Meribah. "Selah"

8 "My people, listen and I will warn you. Israel, I wish you would listen to me!

9 Don't have anything to do with the gods of other nations. Don't bow down and worship strange gods.

10 I am the LORD your God. I brought you up out of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it with good things.

11 "But my people wouldn't listen to me. Israel wouldn't obey me.

12 So I let them go their own stubborn way. I let them follow their own sinful plans.

13 "I wish my people would listen to me! I wish Israel would live as I want them to live!

14 Then I would quickly bring their enemies under control. I would use my power against their attackers.

15 Those who hate me would bow down to me in fear. They would be punished forever.

16 But you would be fed with the finest wheat. I would satisfy you with the sweetest honey."

Psalms 82

1 God takes his place at the head of a large gathering of rulers and judges. He announces his decisions among them.

2 He says, "How long will you stand up for those who aren't fair to others? How long will you show favor to sinful people? "Selah"

3 Stand up for those who are weak and for those whose fathers have died. See to it that those who are poor and those who are beaten down are treated fairly.

4 Save the weak and those who are in need. Save them from the power of sinful people.

5 "You rulers and judges don't know anything. You don't understand anything. You are in the dark about what is right. Law and order have been destroyed all over the world.

6 "I said, 'Rulers and judges, you are "gods." You are all children of the Most High God.'

7 But you will die, just like everyone else. You will die like every other ruler."

8 God, rise up. Judge the earth. All of the nations belong to you.

Psalms 83

1 God, don't keep silent. God, don't keep quiet. Don't be still.

2 See how your enemies are getting ready for action. See how they are rising up against you.

3 They make clever plans against your people. They make evil plans against those you love.

4 "Come," they say. "Let's destroy that whole nation. Then the name of Israel won't be remembered anymore."

5 All of them agree on the evil plans they have made. They join forces against you.

6 Their forces include the people of Edom, Ishmael, Moab and Hagar.

7 They also include the people of Byblos, Ammon, Amalek, Philistia and Tyre.

8 Even Assyria has joined them to give strength to the people of Moab and Ammon. "Selah"

9 Do to them what you did to the people of Midian. Do to them what you did to Sisera and Jabin at the Kishon River.

10 Sisera and Jabin died near the town of Endor. Their bodies were left to rot on the ground.

11 Do to the nobles of your enemies what you did to Oreb and Zeeb. Do to all of their princes what you did to Zebah and Zalmunna.

12 They said, "Let's take over the grasslands that belong to God."

13 My God, make them like straw that the wind blows away. Make them like tumbleweed.

14 Destroy them as fire burns up a forest. Destroy them as a flame sets mountains on fire.

15 Chase them with your mighty winds. Terrify them with your storm.

16 Lord, put them to shame so that people will worship you.

17 May they always be filled with terror and shame. May they die in dishonor.

18 Your name is the Lord. Let them know that you alone are the Most High God over the whole earth.

Psalms 84

1 LORD who rules over all, how lovely is the place where you live!

2 I long to be in the courtyards of the LORD's temple. I deeply long to be there. My whole being cries out for the living God.

3 LORD who rules over all, even the sparrow has found a home near your altar. My King and my God, the swallow also has a nest there, where she may have her young.

4 Blessed are those who live in your house. They are always praising you. "Selah"

5 Blessed are those whose strength comes from you. They have decided to travel to your temple.

6 As they pass through the dry Valley of Baca, they make it a place where water flows. The rain in the fall covers it with pools.

7 Those people get stronger as they go along, until each of them appears in Zion, where God lives.

8 LORD God who rules over all, hear my prayer. God of the people of Jacob, listen to me. "Selah"

9 God, look with favor on your anointed king. You appointed him to be like a shield that keeps us safe.

10 A single day in your courtyards is better than a thousand anywhere else. I would rather guard the door of the house of my God than live in the tents of sinful people.

11 The LORD God is like the sun that gives us light. He is like a shield that keeps us safe. The LORD blesses us with favor and honor. He doesn't hold back anything good from those whose lives are without blame.

12 LORD who rules over all, blessed is everyone who trusts in you.

Psalms 85

1 Lord, you showed favor to your land. You blessed the people of Jacob with great success again.

2 You forgave the evil things your people did. You took away all of their sins. "Selah"

3 You stopped being angry with them. You turned your burning anger away from them.

4 God our Savior, make us new again. Stop being unhappy with us.

5 Will you be angry with us forever? Will you be angry for all time to come?

6 Won't you give us new life again? Then we'll be joyful because of what you have done.

7 Lord, show us your faithful love. Save us.

8 I will listen to what God the LORD will say. He promises peace to his faithful people. But they must not return to their foolish ways.

9 I know he's ready to save those who have respect for him. Then his glory can be seen in our land.

10 God's truth and faithful love join together. His peace and holiness kiss each other.

11 His truth springs up from the earth. His holiness looks down from heaven.

12 The LORD will certainly give what is good. Our land will produce its crops.

13 God's holiness leads the way in front of him. It prepares the way for his coming.