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 of Assaph.” O God! nations have entered into thy heritage; they have profaned thy holy temple; they have rendered Jerusalem heaps of ruins.

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 as food unto the fowls of the heaven, the flesh of thy pious ones unto 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 shed their blood like water all round about Jerusalem: and there is no one 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 neighbors, a scorn and derision to those 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, Lord? wilt thou be indignant 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 fury over the nations that acknowledge thee not, and over the kingdoms that have not called on thy name.

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

For they have devoured Jacob, and laid waste his dwelling-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.

Oh remember not against us the iniquities of our fathers: make haste, let thy mercies come to our aid; for we are very miserable.

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 of our salvation, because of the glory of thy name; and deliver us, and atone for our sins, for the sake of thy name.

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.

Wherefore shall the nations say, Where is their God? let there be made known among the nations before our eyes, the vengeance for 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 prisoner come before thee: according to the greatness of thy almighty power preserve thou those that are doomed 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 recompense unto our neighbors sevenfold into their bosom their defiance wherewith they have defied 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 flock of thy pasture will give thanks unto thee for ever: from generation to generation will we relate thy praise.