Psalms 79
1 A psalm of Asaph. God, heathen nations have invaded your land. They have defiled your holy Temple. They have turned Jerusalem into heaps of rubble.
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 dead bodies of your servants as food to the birds of the air, the flesh of your faithful people 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 They have poured out the blood of Jerusalem's people like water all through the city; no one remains to bury the dead.
They have poured out their blood like water, Round about Jerusalem, With none to bury.
4 We have been made a mockery before our neighbors, ridiculed and laughed at by those around us.
We have become, A reproach to our neighbours, —A mockery and a derision, to them who are round about us.
5 How long, Lord? Will you be angry with us forever? Will your jealousy always burn like fire?
How long, O Yahweh, wilt thou be angry utterly? Shall thy jealousy, burn like fire?
6 Pour out your anger on the heathen nations that don't know you, and on those kingdoms that don't worship you!
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 destroyed the descendants of Jacob, and turned our country into a wasteland.
For he hath devoured Jacob, —And, his dwelling-place, have they laid waste.
8 Don't hold the sins of our forefathers against us! Come to us quickly for we desperately need your compassion.
Do not remember against us former iniquities, —Haste thee, let thy compassions, come to meet us, For we have been brought very low!
9 Help us, God of our salvation, because of your wonderful character! Save us and forgive us our sins because that's the kind of person you are!
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 should the heathen nations be able to say, “Where is their God?” May they experience your punishment for shedding the blood of your servants, and may we see it.
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 Listen to the groans of the prisoners; with your great power save those condemned to die.
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 Pay each of these neighbors back seven times for the scorn and ridicule they directed against you, Lord.
Return, therefore, unto our neighbours—Sevenfold, into their own bosom, The reproach wherewith they have reproached thee, O Adonay!
13 Then we your people, the flock of your pasture, will praise you forever. We will thank you for all generations to come.
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.
