Believe It or Not

Psalm 80:1-2, 8-19

¹ Shepherd of Israel, listen! You, the one who leads Joseph as if he were a sheep. You, who are enthroned upon the winged heavenly creatures. Show yourself ² before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh! Wake up your power! Come to save us! ⁸ You brought a vine out of Egypt. You drove out the nations and planted it. ⁹ You cleared the ground for it; then it planted its roots deep, filling the land. ¹⁰ The mountains were covered by its shade; the mighty cedars were covered by its branches. ¹¹ It sent its branches all the way to the sea; its shoots went all the way to the Euphrates River. ¹² So why have you now torn down its walls so that all who come along can pluck its fruit, ¹³ so that any boar from the forest can tear it up, so that the bugs can feed on it? ¹⁴ Please come back, God of heavenly forces! Look down from heaven and perceive it! Attend to this vine, ¹⁵ this root that you planted with your strong hand, this son whom you secured as your very own. ¹⁶ It is burned with fire. It is chopped down. They die at the rebuke coming from you. ¹⁷ Let your hand be with the one on your right side with the one whom you secured as your own ¹⁸ then we will not turn away from you! Revive us so that we can call on your name. ¹⁹ Restore us, LORD God of heavenly forces! Make your face shine so that we can be saved!