Psalms 79

1 A PSALM OF ASAPH. O God, nations have come into Your inheritance, They have defiled Your holy temple, They made Jerusalem become heaps,

[A Psalm by Asaph.] God, the nations have come into your inheritance. They have defiled your holy temple. They have laid Jerusalem in heaps.

2 They gave the dead bodies of Your servants [As] food for the birds of the heavens, The flesh of Your saints For the wild beast of the earth.

They have given the dead bodies of your servants to be food for the birds of the sky, the flesh of your faithful to the animals of the earth.

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

Their blood they have shed like water around Jerusalem. There was no one to bury them.

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

We have become objects of contempt to our neighbors, mocked and ridiculed by those who are around us.

5 Until when, O YHWH? Are You angry forever? Your jealousy burns as fire.

How long, LORD? Will you be angry forever? Will your jealousy burn like fire?

6 Pour Your fury on the nations who have not known You, And on kingdoms that have not called on Your Name.

Pour out your wrath on the nations that do not know you; on the kingdoms that do not call on your name;

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

For they have devoured Jacob, and destroyed his homeland.

8 Do not remember for us the iniquities of forefathers, Hurry, let Your mercies go before us, For we have been very weak.

Do not hold the iniquities of our forefathers against us. Let your tender mercies speedily meet us, for we are in desperate need.

9 Help us, O God of our salvation, Because of the glory of Your Name, And deliver us, and cover over our sins, For Your Name’s sake.

Help us, God of our salvation, for the glory of your name. Deliver us, and forgive our sins, for your name's sake.

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

Why should the nations say, "Where is their God?" Let it be known among the nations, before our eyes, that vengeance for your servants' blood is being poured out.

11 Let the groaning of the prisoner come in before You, According to the greatness of Your arm, Leave the sons of death.

Let the sighing of the prisoner come before you. According to the greatness of your power, free those who are sentenced to death.

12 And return to our neighbors, Sevenfold to their bosom, their reproach, With which they reproached You, O Lord.

Pay back to our neighbors seven times into their lap the insults with which they have insulted you, LORD.

13 And we, Your people, and the flock of Your pasture, We give thanks to You for all time, We recount Your praise from generation to generation!

So we, your people and sheep of your pasture, will give you thanks forever. We will praise you forever, to all generations.