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 Melody of Asaph. O God, nations, Have entered thine inheritance, Have profaned thy holy temple, —Have laid Jerusalem in heaps:
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 for the birds of the heavens, The flesh of thy men of lovingkindness, Unto the wild beast 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 like water, Round about Jerusalem, With none to bury.
4 We are looked down on by our neighbours, we are laughed at and made sport of by those who are round us.
We have become, A reproach to our neighbours, —A mockery and a derision, to them who 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 Yahweh, wilt thou be angry utterly? 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 nations that have not known thee—and, Upon the kingdoms that, on thy Name, have not called.
7 For they have taken Jacob for their meat, and made waste his house.
For he hath devoured Jacob, —And, his dwelling-place, have they laid 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.
Do not remember against us former iniquities, —Haste thee, let thy compassions, come to meet us, For we have been brought very low!
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, on account of the glory of thy Name, —Rescue us then, and put a propitiatory-covering over 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 should the nations say—Where is their God? Let him be known among the nations before our eyes! [Yea! By] the avenging of 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 groaning of the prisoner, come in before thee, —According to the greatness of thine arm, Set free them who are appointed 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.
Return, therefore, unto our neighbours—Sevenfold, into their own bosom, The reproach wherewith they have reproached thee, O Adonay!
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.
So, we, thy people, and the sheep of thy pasture, will give thanks unto thee, to times age-abiding, —To generation after generation, will we recount thy praise.
