Thou that leadest Joseph as a flock

Verse 1

Thou who lead'st Joseph as a flock, O Isra'l's Shepherd hear; Who dwell'st between the cherubims, shine forth in glory there.

Verse 2

Before Manasseh, Benjamin, and Ephr'im: O do Thou, Stir up thy strength and quickly come; To us salvation show.

Verse 3

Turn us, O GOD, to Thee again, And cause thy countenance To shine forth upon us, and we shall have deliverance.

Verse 4

LORD GOD of hosts, how long wilt Thou, thus in thine anger smoke, Against thy people and their pray'rs, who Thee alone invoke.

Verse 5

Thou feedest them with flowing tears, which soak the bread they eat; And for their drink Thou giv'st them tears in measure very great.

Verse 6

Thou mak'st us a strife among our neighbours on each side; Our foes with one another vie, who shall us most deride.

Verse 7

Turn us again, O GOD of hosts, And cause thy countenance To shine forth upon us, and we shall have deliverance.

Verse 8

From Egypt Thou hast brought a vine, the heathen out didst cast; And in the land where once they spread, The vine Thou planted hast.

Verse 9

Before it room Thou didst prepare by thy subduing hand: And causing it deep root to take, it spread and fill'd the land.

Verse 10

The mountains high and all around, were cover'd with her shade; And like the cedar trees of God her branches wee display'd.

Verse 11

Yea, she as far as to the sea Her growing boughs did send; And to the mighty River she her branches did extend.

Verse 12

O why then hast Thou broken down, its hedge, and laid it bare; That all who pass along the way her fruitful branches tear.

Verse 13

'Tis wasted by the savage boar, that rushes from the wood; And all the wild beasts of the field devour it for food.

Verse 14

O GOD of hosts, we beg of Thee, return again, to thine; Look down from heav'n, behold and see, and visit this thy vine,

Verse 15

The vineyard which with thy right hand of pow'r Thou planted hast; The very branch which for Thy self Thou strongly didst set fast.

Verse 16

But now the vine with fire consumes, her branches are cut down; At thy rebuke they fade away, and perish at thy frown.

Verse 17

O with the man of thy right hand, let thy hand present be, And with the son of man whom Thou hast made so strong for Thee.

Verse 18

So by thy grace, we never will revolt from Thee at all: O quick'n us now, and on thy Name we gratefully will call.

Verse 19

LORD GOD of hosts, turn us again, and cause thy countenance To shine forth upon us, and we shall have deliverance.