Psalms 79

1 A Psalm of Asaph. O God, nations have come into Thy inheritance, They have defiled Thy holy temple, They made Jerusalem become heaps,

A psalm of Asaph. God, heathen nations have invaded your land. They have defiled your holy Temple. They have turned Jerusalem into heaps of rubble.

2 They gave the dead bodies of Thy servants Food for the fowls of the heavens, The flesh of Thy saints For the wild beast of the earth.

They have given the dead bodies of your servants as food to the birds of the air, the flesh of your faithful people to the beasts of the earth.

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

They have poured out the blood of Jerusalem's people like water all through the city; no one remains to bury the dead.

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

We have been made a mockery before our neighbors, ridiculed and laughed at by those around us.

5 Till when, O Jehovah? art Thou angry for ever? Thy jealousy doth burn as fire.

How long, Lord? Will you be angry with us forever? Will your jealousy always burn like fire?

6 Pour Thy fury on the nations who have not known Thee, And on kingdoms that have not called in Thy name.

Pour out your anger on the heathen nations that don't know you, and on those kingdoms that don't worship you!

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

For they have destroyed the descendants of Jacob, and turned our country into a wasteland.

8 Remember not for us the iniquities of forefathers, Haste, let Thy mercies go before us, For we have been very weak.

Don't hold the sins of our forefathers against us! Come to us quickly for we desperately need your compassion.

9 Help us, O God of our salvation, Because of the honour of Thy name, And deliver us, and cover over our sins, For Thy name's sake.

Help us, God of our salvation, because of your wonderful character! Save us and forgive us our sins because that's the kind of person you are!

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

Why should the heathen nations be able to say, “Where is their God?” May they experience your punishment for shedding the blood of your servants, and may we see it.

11 Let the groaning of the prisoner come in before Thee, According to the greatness of Thine arm, Leave Thou the sons of death.

Listen to the groans of the prisoners; with your great power save those condemned to die.

12 And turn Thou back to our neighbours, Sevenfold unto their bosom, their reproach, Wherewith they reproached Thee, O Lord.

Pay each of these neighbors back seven times for the scorn and ridicule they directed against you, Lord.

13 And we, Thy people, and the flock of Thy pasture, We give thanks to Thee to the age, To all generations we recount Thy praise!

Then we your people, the flock of your pasture, will praise you forever. We will thank you for all generations to come.