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 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 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 meat for the fowls of the air: the flesh of thy saints for the 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 poured out 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 zeal be kindled like a 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 nations that have not known thee: and upon the kingdoms that have not called upon thy name.

7 For they have taken Jacob for their meat, and made waste his house.

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

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 former iniquities: let thy mercies speedily prevent us, for we are become exceeding poor.

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: and for the glory of thy name, O Lord, deliver us: and forgive us 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.

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 cry of the prisoner come before you; with your strong arm make free the children of 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 And give punishment seven times over into the breast of our neighbours for the bitter words which they have said against you, O 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 the sheep of your flock, will give you glory for ever: we will go on praising you through 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.