Psalms 79

1 A Psalm of Asaph. The nations, O God, have invaded Your inheritance; they have defiled Your holy temple and reduced Jerusalem to rubble.

A Psalm for Asaph. O God, the heathen are come into thine inheritance; they have polluted thy holy temple; they have made Jerusalem a storehouse of fruits.

2 They have given the corpses of Your servants as food to the birds of the air, the flesh of Your saints to the beasts of the earth.

They have given the dead bodies of thy servants [to be] food for the birds of the sky, the flesh of thy holy ones for the wild beasts of the earth.

3 They have poured out their blood like water all around Jerusalem, and there is no one to bury the dead.

They have shed their blood as water, round about Jerusalem; and there was none to bury [them].

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

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

5 How long, O LORD? Will You be angry forever? Will Your jealousy burn like fire?

How long, O Lord? wilt thou be angry for ever? shall thy jealousy burn like fire?

6 Pour out Your wrath on the nations that do not acknowledge You, on the kingdoms that refuse to call on Your name,

Pour out thy wrath upon the heathen that have not known thee, and upon the kingdoms which have not called upon thy name.

7 for they have devoured Jacob and devastated his homeland.

For they have devoured Jacob, and laid his place waste.

8 Do not hold past sins against us; let Your compassion come quickly, for we are brought low.

Remember not our old transgressions; let thy tender mercies speedily prevent us; for we are greatly impoverished.

9 Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of Your name; deliver us and atone for our sins, for the sake of Your name.

Help us, O God our Saviour; for the glory of thy name, O Lord, deliver us; and be merciful to our sins, for thy name's sake.

10 Why should the nations ask, “Where is their God?” Before our eyes, make known among the nations Your vengeance for the bloodshed of Your servants.

Lets haply they should say among the heathen, Where is their God? and let the avenging of thy servant's blood that has been shed be known among the heathen before our eyes.

11 May the groans of the captives reach You; by the strength of Your arm preserve those condemned to death.

Let the groaning of the prisoners come in before thee; according to the greatness of thine arm preserve the sons of the slain ones.

12 Pay back into the laps of our neighbors sevenfold the reproach they hurled at You, O Lord.

Repay to our neighbours sevenfold into their bosom their reproach, with which they have reproached thee, O Lord.

13 Then we Your people, the sheep of Your pasture, will thank You forever; from generation to generation we will declare Your praise.

For we are thy people and the sheep of thy pasture; we will give thee thanks for ever; we will declare thy praise throughout all generations.