Psalms 79

1 A Psalm. Of Asaph. O God, the nations have come into your heritage; they have made your holy Temple unclean; they have made Jerusalem a mass of broken walls.

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 bodies of your servants as food to the birds of the air, and 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 Their blood has been flowing like water round about Jerusalem; there was no one to put them in their last resting-place.

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

4 We are looked down on by our neighbours, we are laughed at and made sport of by those who are round 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 for ever? will your wrath go on burning like fire?

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

6 Let your wrath be on the nations who have no knowledge of you, and on the kingdoms who have not made prayer to 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 taken Jacob for their meat, and made waste his house.

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

8 Do not keep in mind against us the sins of our fathers; let your mercy come to us quickly, for we have been made very low.

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

9 Give us help, O God of our salvation, for the glory of your name; take us out of danger and give us forgiveness for our sins, because 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 may the nations say, Where is their God? Let payment for the blood of your servants be made openly among the nations before our eyes.

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 Let the cry of the prisoner come before you; with your strong arm make free the children of 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 And give punishment seven times over into the breast of our neighbours for the bitter words which they have said against you, O Lord.

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

13 So we your people, and the sheep of your flock, will give you glory for ever: we will go on praising you through all generations.

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.