Psalms 79
1 A psalm of Asaph. God, foreign nations have come into your inheritance; they have defiled your holy temple; they have turned Jerusalem into a heap of ruins.
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.
2 They have given the dead bodies of your servants as food to the birds of the skies, the bodies of your faithful people to the beasts of the earth.
[Instead of burying] the corpses of your people [whom they killed], they allowed vultures and wild animals to eat the flesh of those corpses,
3 They have shed their blood like water around Jerusalem, and there was none to bury them.
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.
4 We have become a reproach for our neighbors, mocking and derision to those who are around us.
The people-groups that live in countries that surround our land insult us; they laugh at us and deride/belittle us.
5 How long, Yahweh? Will you stay angry forever? How long will your jealous anger burn like fire?
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]?
6 Pour out your wrath on the nations that do not know you and on the kingdoms that do not call upon your name.
[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,
7 For they have devoured Jacob and destroyed his villages.
because they have killed Israeli people and they have ruined your country.
8 Do not hold the sins of our forefathers against us; may your merciful actions come to us, for we are very low.
Do not punish us because of the sins that our ancestors committed! Be merciful to us now/quickly, because we are very discouraged.
9 Help us, God of our salvation, for the sake of the glory of your name; save us and forgive our sins for your name's sake.
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].
10 Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?” May the blood of your servants that was shed be avenged on the nations before our eyes.
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.
11 May the groans of the prisoners come before you; with the greatness of your power keep the children of death alive.
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.
12 Pay back into the laps of our neighboring countries seven times as much as the insults with which they have insulted you, Lord.
In return for their having [often] insulted you, punish them seven times as much!
13 So we your people and sheep of your pasture will give you thanks forever. We will tell your praises to all generations.
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].
