Psalms 79

1 God, other people-groups have invaded your land. They have (desecrated your temple/caused your temple to be unfit for worship), and they have destroyed all the buildings in Jerusalem.

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.

2 [Instead of burying] the corpses of your people [whom they killed], they allowed vultures and wild animals to eat the flesh of those corpses,

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.

3 When they killed your people, your people’s blood flowed like water through [the streets of] Jerusalem, and there was [almost] no one [HYP] left to bury their corpses.

Their blood has been flowing like water round about Jerusalem; there was no one to put them in their last resting-place.

4 The people-groups that live in countries that surround our land insult us; they laugh at us and deride/belittle us.

We are looked down on by our neighbours, we are laughed at and made sport of by those who are round us.

5 Yahweh, how long [will this continue]? Will you be angry with us forever? Will your being angry [destroy us like] a burning fire [destroys things]?

How long, O Lord? will you be angry for ever? will your wrath go on burning like fire?

6 [Instead of being angry with us], be angry with the people-groups that do not know/worship you! Be angry with kingdoms whose people do not pray to you,

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.

7 because they have killed Israeli people and they have ruined your country.

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

8 Do not punish us because of the sins that our ancestors committed! Be merciful to us now/quickly, because we are very discouraged.

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.

9 God, you have saved/rescued [us many times], [so] help us [now]; rescue us and forgive us for having sinned in order that other people will honor you [MTY].

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.

10 It is not right that [RHQ] other people-groups say [about us], “If their God [is very powerful], (surely he should help them/why does he not [help them])?” Allow us to see you punishing the people of other nations in return for their shedding our blood; they have killed many of us, your people.

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.

11 Listen to your people groaning while they are in prison, and by your great power free those whom our enemies say that they will certainly execute.

Let the cry of the prisoner come before you; with your strong arm make free the children of death;

12 In return for their having [often] insulted you, punish them seven times as much!

And give punishment seven times over into the breast of our neighbours for the bitter words which they have said against you, O Lord.

13 After you do that, we, whom you [take care of like a shepherd takes care of] his sheep, will continue praising you; we will continue to praise you forever [HYP].

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.