69 He built his holy place to be like the high heavens, like the earth which he made to last for a long time.

70 He chose his servant David.

He took him from the sheep pens.

71 He brought him from tending the ewes that had lambs so that David could be the shepherd of the people of Jacob, of Israel, the people who belonged to Yahweh .

72 With unselfish devotion David became their shepherd.

With skill he guided them.

Psalm 79 A psalm by Asaph.

1 O Elohim, the nations have invaded the land that belongs to you.

They have dishonored your holy temple.

They have left Jerusalem in ruins.

2 They have given the dead bodies of your servants to the birds for food.

They have given the flesh of your godly ones to the animals.

3 They have shed the blood of your people around Jerusalem as though it were water.

There is no one to bury your people.

4 We have become a disgrace to our neighbors, an object of ridicule and contempt to those around us.

5 How long, O Yahweh ?

Will you remain angry forever?

Will your fury continue to burn like fire?

6 Pour your fury on the nations that do not know you, on the kingdoms that have not called you.

7 They have devoured Jacob.

They have destroyed his home.

8 Do not hold the crimes of our ancestors against us.

Reach out to us soon with your compassion, because we are helpless.

9 Help us, O Elohim, our savior, for the glory of your name.

Rescue us, and forgive our sins for the honor of your name.

10 Why should the nations be allowed to say, "Where is their Elohim ?"

Let us watch as the nations learn that there is punishment for shedding the blood of your servants.

11 Let the groans of prisoners come into your presence.

With your powerful arm rescue those who are condemned to death.

12 Pay each one of our neighbors back with seven times the number of insults they used to insult you, O Adonay .

13 Then we, your people, the flock in your pasture, will give thanks to you forever.

We will praise you throughout every generation.

Psalm 80 For the choir director; according to shoshannim eduth; by Asaph; a psalm.

1 Open your ears, O Roeh of Israel, the one who leads the descendants of Joseph like sheep, the one who is enthroned over the angels.a 2 Appear in front of Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh.

Wake up your power, and come to save us.

3 O Elohim , restore us and smile on us so that we may be saved.

4 O Yahweh Elohim Tsebaoth , how long will you smolder in anger against the prayer of your people?

5 You made them eat tears as food.

You often made them drink their own tears.

6 You made us a source of conflict to our neighbors, and our enemies made fun of us.

7 O Elohim Tsebaoth , restore us and smile on us so that we may be saved.

8 You brought a vine from Egypt.

You forced out the nations and planted it.

9 You cleared the ground for it so that it took root and filled the land.

10 Its shade covered the mountains.

Its branches covered the mighty cedars.

11 It reached out with its branches to the Mediterranean Sea.

Its shoots reached the Euphrates River.

12 Why did you break down the stone fences around this vine?

All who pass by are picking its fruit.

13 Wild boars from the forest graze on it.

Wild animals devour it.

14 O Elohim Tsebaoth, come back!

Look from heaven and see!

Come to help this vine.

15 Take care of what your right hand planted, the son you strengthened for yourself.

16 The vine has been cut down and burned.

Let them be destroyed by the threatening look on your face.

17 Let your power rest on the man you have chosen, the son of man you strengthened for yourself.

18 Then we will never turn away from you.

Give us life again, and we will call on you.

19 O Yahweh Elohim Tsebaoth , restore us, and smile on us so that we may be saved.

Psalm 81 For the choir director; on the gittith;a by Asaph.

1 Sing joyfully to Elohim, our strength.

Shout happily to the Elohim of Jacob.

2 Begin a psalm, and strike a tambourine.

Play lyres and harps with their pleasant music.

3 Blow the ram's horn on the day of the new moon, on the day of the full moon, on our festival days.

4 This is a law for Israel, a legal decision from the Elohim of Jacob.

5 These are the instructions Elohim set in place for Joseph when Joseph rose to power over Egypt.

I heard a message I did not understand: 6 "I removed the burden from his shoulder.

His hands were freed from the basket.

7 When you were in trouble, you called out to me, and I rescued you.

I was hidden in thunder, but I answered you.

I tested your loyalty at the oasis of Meribah.

Selah 8 Listen, my people, and I will warn you.

Israel, if you would only listen to me!

9 Never keep any strange god among you.

Never worship a foreign god.

10 I am Yahweh your Elohim , the one who brought you out of Egypt.

Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.

11 "But my people did not listen to me.

Israel wanted nothing to do with me.

12 So I let them go their own stubborn ways and follow their own advice.

13 If only my people would listen to me!

If only Israel would follow me!

14 I would quickly defeat their enemies.

I would turn my power against their foes.

15 Those who hate Yahweh would cringe in front of him, and their time for punishment would last forever.

16 But I would feed Israel with the finest wheat and satisfy them with honey from a rock."

Psalm 82 A psalm by Asaph.

1 Elohim takes his place in his own assembly.

He pronounces judgment among the gods: 2 "How long are you going to judge unfairly?

How long are you going to side with wicked people?"

Selah 3 Defend weak people and orphans.

Protect the rights of the oppressed and the poor.

4 Rescue weak and needy people.

Help them escape the power of wicked people.

5 Wicked people do not know or understand anything.

As they walk around in the dark, all the foundations of the earth shake.