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

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 as food to the birds of the air, the flesh of your faithful people 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.

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

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

We have been made a mockery before our neighbors, ridiculed and laughed at by those around 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, Lord? Will you be angry with us forever? Will your jealousy always 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 anger on the heathen nations that don't know you, and on those kingdoms that don't worship you!

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

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

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

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

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, 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 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 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 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.

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

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

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

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