Show Forth Your Splendor

1 Hear us, O Israel’s Shepherd, Joseph’s guide, the one enthroned between the cherubim. 2 Show forth your splendor to the threatened tribes, Manasseh, Benjamin and Ephraïm. 3 Restore us, LORD, your saving power release; make your face shine on us and give us peace. 4 How long, O LORD, will you disdain our prayer? 5 For you have fed us with the bread of tears. Your holy anger brings us to despair; 6 the nations mock us with their scornful jeers. 7 Restore us, LORD, your saving power release; make your face shine on us and give us peace. 8 You brought a vine from Egypt with your hand; 9 you drove the nations out to give it room. It took deep root and spread throughout the land; 10 the hills were covered with its shade and bloom. 11 Under its branches mighty cedars hide; it sent out shoots to sea and riverside. 12 Why have you broken down the vineyard wall so that its grapes are eaten off the vine? 13 Boars from the forest root around it all; its fruit is ravaged by the hungry swine. 14 Return to us, O LORD, with power divine; look down from heaven on your chosen vine. 15 This vine, once planted with your own right hand, 16 now burns with fire; your people cry and moan. 17 Let your hand rest on those you cause to stand; 18 then we will call on your great name alone. 19 Restore us, LORD, your saving power release; make your face shine on us and give us peace. – vv. 1-2 Sing Psalms; vv. 3-19 Bert Polman