Psalms 79

1 A Psalm by Asaph. God, the nations have come into your inheritance. They have defiled your holy temple. They have laid Jerusalem in heaps.

A psalm for Asaph. O God, the heathens are come into thy inheritance, they have defiled thy holy temple: they have made Jerusalem as a place to keep fruit.

2 They have given the dead bodies of your servants to be food for the birds of the sky, the flesh of your saints to the animals of the earth.

They have given the dead bodies of thy servants to be meat for the fowls of the air: the flesh of thy saints for the beasts of the earth.

3 They have shed their blood like water around Jerusalem. There was no one to bury them.

They have poured out their blood as water, round about Jerusalem and there was none to bury them.

4 We have become a reproach to our neighbors, a scoffing and derision to those who are around us.

We are become a reproach to our neighbours: a scorn and derision to them that are round about us.

5 How long, LORD? Will you be angry forever? Will your jealousy burn like fire?

How long, O Lord, wilt thou be angry for ever: shall thy zeal be kindled like a fire?

6 Pour out your wrath on the nations that do not know you, on the kingdoms that do not call on your name,

Pour out thy wrath upon the nations that have not known thee: and upon the kingdoms that have not called upon thy name.

7 for they have devoured Jacob, and destroyed his homeland.

Because they have devoured Jacob; and have laid waste his place.

8 Do not hold the iniquities of our forefathers against us. Let your tender mercies speedily meet us, for we are in desperate need.

Remember not our former iniquities: let thy mercies speedily prevent us, for we are become exceeding poor.

9 Help us, God of our salvation, for the glory of your name. Deliver us, and forgive our sins, for your name’s sake.

Help us, O God, our saviour: and for the glory of thy name, O Lord, deliver us: and forgive us our sins for thy name’s sake:

10 Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?” Let it be known among the nations, before our eyes, that vengeance for your servants’ blood is being poured out.

Lest they should say among the Gentiles: Where is their God? And let him be made known among the nations before our eyes, By the revenging the blood of thy servants, which hath been shed:

11 Let the sighing of the prisoner come before you. According to the greatness of your power, preserve those who are sentenced to death.

Let the sighing of the prisoners come in before thee. According to the greatness of thy arm, take possession of the children of them that have been put to death.

12 Pay back to our neighbors seven times into their bosom their reproach with which they have reproached you, Lord.

And render to our neighbours sevenfold in their bosom: the reproach wherewith they have reproached thee, O Lord.

13 So we, your people and sheep of your pasture, will give you thanks forever. We will praise you forever, to all generations.

But we thy people, and the sheep of thy pasture, will give thanks to thee for ever. We will shew forth thy praise, unto generation and generation.