Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, PSALM 80, by OLD TESTAMENT BIBLE


Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

PSALM 80, by                    
First Line: Thou shepherd that dost israel keep
Last Line: And then we shall be safe.


I Thou Shepherd that dost Israel keep,
Give ear in time of need,
Who leadest like a flock of sheep
Thy loved Joseph's seed,
That sitt'st between the Cherubs bright
Between their wings outspread,
Shine forth, and from thy cloud give light,
And on our foes thy dread.
2 In Ephraim's view and Benjamin's,
And in Manasseh's sight,
Awake thy strength, come, and be seen
To save us by thy might.
3 Turn us again, thy grace divine
To us O God vouchsafe;
Cause thou thy face on us to shine
And then we shall be safe.
4 Lord God of Hosts, how long wilt thou,
How long wilt thou declare
Thy smoking wrath and angry brow
Against thy people's prayer?
5 Thou feed'st them with the bread of tears,
Their bread with tears they eat,
And mak'st them largely drink the tears
Wherewith their tears are wet.
6 A strife thou mak'st us and a prey
To every neighbour foe;
Among themselves they laugh, they play,
And flouts at us they throw.
7 Return us, and thy grace divine,
O God of Hosts vouchsafe;
Cause thou thy face on us to shine,
And then we shall be safe.
8 A vine from Egypt thou hast brought,
Thy free love made it shine,
And drov'st out nations proud and haught
To plant this lovely vine.
9 Thou didst prepare for it a place
And root it deep and fast
That it began to grow apace,
And filled the land at last.
10 With her green shade that covered all,
The hills were overspread;
Her boughs as high as cedars tall
Advanced their lofty head.
11 Her branches on the western side
Down to the sea she sent,
And upward to that river wide
Her other branches went.
12 Why hast thou laid her hedges low
And broken down her fence,
That all may pluck her, as they go,
With rudest violence?
13 The tusked boar out of the wood
Upturns it by the roots,
Wild beasts there browse, and make their food
Her grapes and tender shoots.
14 Return now, God of Hosts, look down
From Heav'n, thy seat divine,
Behold us, but without a frown,
And visit this thy vine.
15 Visit this vine, which thy right hand
Hath set, and planted long,
And the young branch, that for thyself
Thou hast made firm and strong.
16 But now it is consumed with fire,
And cut with axes down;
They perish at thy dreadful ire,
At thy rebuke and frown.
17 Upon the man of thy right hand
Let thy good hand be laid,
Upon the Son of Man, whom thou
Strong for thyself hast made.
18 So shall we not go back from thee
To ways of sin and shame,
Quicken us thou, then gladly we
Shall call upon thy name.
Return us, and thy grace divine
Lord God of Hosts vouchsafe,
Cause thou thy face on us to shine,
And then we shall be safe.





Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!


Other Poems of Interest...
Home: PoetryExplorer.net