English Standard Version ESV
The Message Bible MSG
1 Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock! You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth.
1
Listen, Shepherd, Israel's Shepherd - get all your Joseph sheep together. Throw beams of light from your dazzling throne
2 Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh, stir up your might and come to save us!
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So Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh can see where they're going. Get out of bed - you've slept long enough! Come on the run before it's too late.
3 Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved!
3
God, come back! Smile your blessing smile: That will be our salvation.
4 O LORD God of hosts, how long will you be angry with your people's prayers?
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God, God of the angel armies, how long will you smolder like a sleeping volcano while your people call for fire and brimstone?
5 You have fed them with the bread of tears and given them tears to drink in full measure.
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You put us on a diet of tears, bucket after bucket of salty tears to drink.
6 You make us an object of contention for our neighbors, and our enemies laugh among themselves.
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You make us look ridiculous to our friends; our enemies poke fun day after day.
7 Restore us, O God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved!
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God of the angel armies, come back! Smile your blessing smile: That will be our salvation.
8 You brought a vine out of Egypt; you drove out the nations and planted it.
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Remember how you brought a young vine from Egypt, cleared out the brambles and briers and planted your very own vineyard?
9 You cleared the ground for it; it took deep root and filled the land.
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You prepared the good earth, you planted her roots deep; the vineyard filled the land.
10 The mountains were covered with its shade, the mighty cedars with its branches.
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Your vine soared high and shaded the mountains, even dwarfing the giant cedars.
11 It sent out its branches to the sea and its shoots to the River.
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Your vine ranged west to the Sea, east to the River.
12 Why then have you broken down its walls, so that all who pass along the way pluck its fruit?
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So why do you no longer protect your vine? Trespassers pick its grapes at will;
13 The boar from the forest ravages it, and all that move in the field feed on it.
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Wild pigs crash through and crush it, and the mice nibble away at what's left.
14 Turn again, O God of hosts! Look down from heaven, and see; have regard for this vine,
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God of the angel armies, turn our way! Take a good look at what's happened and attend to this vine.
15 the stock that your right hand planted, and for the son whom you made strong for yourself.
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Care for what you once tenderly planted - the vine you raised from a shoot.
16 They have burned it with fire; they have cut it down; may they perish at the rebuke of your face!
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And those who dared to set it on fire - give them a look that will kill!
17 But let your hand be on the man of your right hand, the son of man whom you have made strong for yourself!
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Then take the hand of your once-favorite child, the child you raised to adulthood.
18 Then we shall not turn back from you; give us life, and we will call upon your name!
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We will never turn our back on you; breathe life into our lungs so we can shout your name!
19 Restore us, O LORD God of hosts! Let your face shine, that we may be saved!
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God, God of the angel armies, come back! Smile your blessing smile: That will be our salvation.
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.