Psalms 79

1 A PSALM OF ASAPH. O God, nations have come into Your inheritance, They have defiled Your holy temple, They made Jerusalem become heaps,

A Psalm of Asaph. The nations, O God, have invaded Your inheritance; they have defiled Your holy temple and reduced Jerusalem to rubble.

2 They gave the dead bodies of Your servants [As] food for the birds of the heavens, The flesh of Your saints For the wild beast of the earth.

They have given the corpses of Your servants as food to the birds of the air, the flesh of Your saints to the beasts of the earth.

3 They have shed their blood As water around Jerusalem, And there is none burying.

They have poured out their blood like water all around Jerusalem, and there is no one to bury the dead.

4 We have been a reproach to our neighbors, A scorn and a derision to our surrounders.

We have become a reproach to our neighbors, a scorn and derision to those around us.

5 Until when, O YHWH? Are You angry forever? Your jealousy burns as fire.

How long, O LORD? Will You be angry forever? Will Your jealousy burn like fire?

6 Pour Your fury on the nations who have not known You, And on kingdoms that have not called on Your Name.

Pour out Your wrath on the nations that do not acknowledge You, on the kingdoms that refuse to call on Your name,

7 For [one] has devoured Jacob, And they have made his habitation desolate.

for they have devoured Jacob and devastated his homeland.

8 Do not remember for us the iniquities of forefathers, Hurry, let Your mercies go before us, For we have been very weak.

Do not hold past sins against us; let Your compassion come quickly, for we are brought low.

9 Help us, O God of our salvation, Because of the glory of Your Name, And deliver us, and cover over our sins, For Your Name’s sake.

Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of Your name; deliver us and atone for our sins, for the sake of Your name.

10 Why do the nations say, “Where [is] their God?” Let [it] be known among the nations before our eyes, The vengeance of the blood of Your servants that is shed.

Why should the nations ask, “Where is their God?” Before our eyes, make known among the nations Your vengeance for the bloodshed of Your servants.

11 Let the groaning of the prisoner come in before You, According to the greatness of Your arm, Leave the sons of death.

May the groans of the captives reach You; by the strength of Your arm preserve those condemned to death.

12 And return to our neighbors, Sevenfold to their bosom, their reproach, With which they reproached You, O Lord.

Pay back into the laps of our neighbors sevenfold the reproach they hurled at You, O Lord.

13 And we, Your people, and the flock of Your pasture, We give thanks to You for all time, We recount Your praise from generation to generation!

Then we Your people, the sheep of Your pasture, will thank You forever; from generation to generation we will declare Your praise.