Psalms 79

1 A Melody of Asaph. O God, nations, Have entered thine inheritance, Have profaned thy holy temple, —Have laid Jerusalem in heaps:

“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 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:

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 They have poured out their blood like water, Round about Jerusalem, With none to bury.

They have shed their blood like water all round about Jerusalem: and there is no one to bury them.

4 We have become, A reproach to our neighbours, —A mockery and a derision, to them who are round about us.

We are become a reproach to our neighbors, a scorn and derision to those that are round about us.

5 How long, O Yahweh, wilt thou be angry utterly? Shall thy jealousy, burn like fire?

How long, Lord? wilt thou be indignant for ever? shall thy jealousy burn like fire?

6 Pour out thy wrath, Upon the nations that have not known thee—and, Upon the kingdoms that, on thy Name, have not called.

Pour out thy fury over the nations that acknowledge thee not, and over the kingdoms that have not called on thy name.

7 For he hath devoured Jacob, —And, his dwelling-place, have they laid waste.

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

8 Do not remember against us former iniquities, —Haste thee, let thy compassions, come to meet us, For we have been brought 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 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.

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 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!

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 groaning of the prisoner, come in before thee, —According to the greatness of thine arm, Set free them who are appointed to 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 Return, therefore, unto our neighbours—Sevenfold, into their own bosom, The reproach wherewith they have reproached thee, O Adonay!

And recompense unto our neighbors sevenfold into their bosom their defiance wherewith they have defied thee, O Lord.

13 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.

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.