A Prayer for Restoration

801 Shepherd of Israel, give ear, Leading Joseph as a flock, Inhabiting the cherubs—shine forth, 2 Before Ephraim, and Benjamin, and Manasseh, Wake up Thy might, and come for our salvation. 3 O God, cause us to turn back, And cause Thy face to shine, and we are saved. 4 Jehovah, God of Hosts, till when? Thou hast burned against the prayer of Thy people. 5 Thou hast caused them to eat bread of tears, And causest them to drink With tears a third time. 6 Thou makest us a strife to our neighbors, And our enemies mock at it. 7 God of Hosts, turn us back, And cause Thy face to shine, and we are saved.

8 A vine out of Egypt Thou dost bring, Thou dost cast out nations, and plantest it. 9 Thou hast looked before it, and dost root it, And it filleth the land, 10 Covered have been hills 'with' its shadow, And its boughs 'are' cedars of God. 11 It sendeth forth its branches unto the sea, And unto the river its sucklings. 12 Why hast Thou broken down its hedges, And all passing by the way have plucked it? 13 A boar out of the forest doth waste it, And a wild beast of the fields consumeth it. 14 God of Hosts, turn back, we beseech Thee, Look from heaven, and see, and inspect this vine, 15 And the root that Thy right hand planted, And the branch Thou madest strong for Thee, 16 Burnt with fire—cut down, From the rebuke of Thy face they perish. 17 Let Thy hand be on the man of Thy right hand, On the son of man Thou hast strengthened for Thyself. 18 And we do not go back from Thee, Thou dost revive us, and in Thy name we call. 19 O Jehovah, God of Hosts, turn us back, Cause Thy face to shine, and we are saved!

God's Goodness and Israel's Waywardness

811 To the Overseer.—'On the Gittith.' By Asaph. Cry aloud to God our strength, Shout to the God of Jacob. 2 Lift up a song, and give out a timbrel, A pleasant harp with psaltery. 3 Blow in the month a trumpet, In the new moon, at the day of our festival, 4 For a statute to Israel it 'is', An ordinance of the God of Jacob. 5 A testimony on Joseph He hath placed it, In his going forth over the land of Egypt. A lip, I have not known—I hear. 6 From the burden his shoulder I turned aside, His hands from the basket pass over. 7 In distress thou hast called and I deliver thee, I answer thee in the secret place of thunder, I try thee by the waters of Meribah. Selah.

8 Hear, O My people, and I testify to thee, O Israel, if thou dost hearken to me: 9 There is not in thee a strange god, And thou bowest not thyself to a strange god. 10 I 'am' Jehovah thy God, Who bringeth thee up out of the land of Egypt. Enlarge thy mouth, and I fill it. 11 But, My people hearkened not to My voice, And Israel hath not consented to Me. 12 And I send them away in the enmity of their heart, They walk in their own counsels. 13 O that My people were hearkening to Me, Israel in My ways would walk. 14 As a little thing their enemies I cause to bow, And against their adversaries I turn back My hand, 15 Those hating Jehovah feign obedience to Him, But their time is—to the age. 16 He causeth him to eat of the fat of wheat, And 'with' honey from a rock I satisfy thee!

A Rebuke of Unjust Judgments

821 God hath stood in the company of God, In the midst God doth judge. 2 Till when do ye judge perversely? And the face of the wicked lift up? Selah. 3 Judge ye the weak and fatherless, The afflicted and the poor declare righteous. 4 Let the weak and needy escape, From the hand of the wicked deliver them. 5 They knew not, nor do they understand, In darkness they walk habitually, Moved are all the foundations of earth.

6 I—I have said, 'Gods ye 'are', And sons of the Most High—all of you, 7 But as man ye die, and as one of the heads ye fall, 8 Rise, O God, judge the earth, For Thou hast inheritance among all the nations!

A Prayer for the Destruction of Israel's Enemies

831 O God, let there be no silence to Thee, Be not silent, nor be quiet, O God. 2 For, lo, Thine enemies do roar, And those hating Thee have lifted up the head, 3 Against Thy people they take crafty counsel, And consult against Thy hidden ones. 4 They have said, 'Come, And we cut them off from 'being' a nation, And the name of Israel is not remembered any more.' 5 For they consulted in heart together, Against Thee a covenant they make, 6 Tents of Edom, and Ishmaelites, Moab, and the Hagarenes, 7 Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek, Philistia with inhabitants of Tyre, 8 Asshur also is joined with them, They have been an arm to sons of Lot. Selah.

9 Do to them as 'to' Midian, As 'to' Sisera, as 'to' Jabin, at the stream Kishon. 10 They were destroyed at Endor, They were dung for the ground! 11 Make their nobles as Oreb and as Zeeb, And as Zebah and Zalmunna all their princes, 12 Who have said, 'Let us occupy for ourselves The comely places of God.' 13 O my God, make them as a rolling thing, As stubble before wind. 14 As a fire doth burn a forest, And as a flame setteth hills on fire, 15 So dost Thou pursue them with Thy whirlwind, And with Thy hurricane troublest them. 16 Fill their faces 'with' shame, And they seek Thy name, O Jehovah. 17 They are ashamed and troubled for ever, Yea, they are confounded and lost. 18 And they know that Thou—(Thy name 'is' Jehovah—by Thyself,) 'Art' the Most High over all the earth!

Longing for God's House

841 How beloved Thy tabernacles, Jehovah of Hosts! 2 My soul desired, yea, it hath also been consumed, For the courts of Jehovah, My heart and my flesh cry aloud unto the living God, 3 (Even a sparrow hath found a house, And a swallow a nest for herself, Where she hath placed her brood,) Thine altars, O Jehovah of Hosts, My king and my God. 4 O the happiness of those inhabiting Thy house, Yet do they praise Thee. Selah. 5 O the happiness of a man whose strength is in Thee, Highways 'are' in their heart. 6 Those passing through a valley of weeping, A fountain do make it, Blessings also cover the director. 7 They go from strength unto strength, He appeareth unto God in Zion.

8 O Jehovah, God of Hosts, hear my prayer, Give ear, O God of Jacob. Selah. 9 Our shield, see, O God, And behold the face of Thine anointed, 10 For good 'is' a day in Thy courts, O Teacher! I have chosen rather to be at the threshold, In the house of my God, Than to dwell in tents of wickedness. 11 For a sun and a shield 'is' Jehovah God, Grace and honour doth Jehovah give. He withholdeth not good To those walking in uprightness. 12 Jehovah of Hosts! O the happiness of a man trusting in Thee.

A Prayer for God's Mercy on Israel

851 Thou hast accepted, O Jehovah, Thy land, Thou hast turned 'to' the captivity of Jacob. 2 Thou hast borne away the iniquity of Thy people, Thou hast covered all their sin. Selah. 3 Thou hast gathered up all Thy wrath, Thou hast turned back from the fierceness of Thine anger. 4 Turn back 'to' us, O God of our salvation, And make void Thine anger with us. 5 To the age art Thou angry against us? Dost Thou draw out Thine anger To generation and generation? 6 Dost Thou not turn back? Thou revivest us, And Thy people do rejoice in Thee. 7 Show us, O Jehovah, thy kindness, And Thy salvation Thou dost give to us.

8 I hear what God Jehovah speaketh, For He speaketh peace unto His people, And unto His saints, and they turn not back to folly. 9 Only, near to those fearing Him 'is' His salvation, That honour may dwell in our land. 10 Kindness and truth have met, Righteousness and peace have kissed, 11 Truth from the earth springeth up, And righteousness from heaven looketh out, 12 Jehovah also giveth that which is good, And our land doth give its increase. 13 Righteousness before Him goeth, And maketh His footsteps for a way!