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 for Asaph. O God, the heathen are come into your inheritance; they have polluted your holy temple; they have made Jerusalem a storehouse of fruits.
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 dead bodies of your servants [to be] food for the birds of the sky, the flesh of your holy ones for the wild 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.
They have shed their blood as water, round about Jerusalem; and there was none to bury [them].
4 The people-groups that live in countries that surround our land insult us; they laugh at us and deride/belittle us.
We are become a reproach to our neighbors, a scorn and derision to them [that are] round about 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? shall your jealousy burn 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,
Pour out your wrath upon the heathen that have not known you, and upon the kingdoms which have not called upon your name.
7 because they have killed Israeli people and they have ruined your country.
For they have devoured Jacob, and laid his place waste.
8 Do not punish us because of the sins that our ancestors committed! Be merciful to us now/quickly, because we are very discouraged.
Remember not our old transgressions; let your tender mercies speedily prevent us; for we are greatly impoverished.
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].
Help us, O God our Saviour; for the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us; and be merciful to our sins, for your name's sake.
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.
Lets haply they should say among the heathen, Where is their God? and let the avenging of your servant's blood that has been shed be known among the heathen 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 groaning of the prisoners come in before you; according to the greatness of your arm preserve the sons of the slain ones.
12 In return for their having [often] insulted you, punish them seven times as much!
Repay to our neighbors sevenfold into their bosom their reproach, with which they have reproached 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].
For we are your people and the sheep of your pasture; we will give you thanks for ever; we will declare your praise throughout all generations.
