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 Assaph.” O God! nations have entered into thy heritage; they have profaned thy holy temple; they have rendered Jerusalem heaps of ruins.

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 thy servants as food unto the fowls of the heaven, the flesh of thy pious ones unto 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 shed their blood like water all round about Jerusalem: and there is no one 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 those 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, Lord? wilt thou be indignant for ever? shall thy 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 thy fury over the nations that acknowledge thee not, and over the kingdoms that have not called on thy name.

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

For they have devoured Jacob, and laid waste his dwelling-place.

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

Oh remember not against us the iniquities of our fathers: make haste, let thy mercies come to our aid; for we are very miserable.

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 of our salvation, because of the glory of thy name; and deliver us, and atone for our sins, for the sake of thy name.

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.

Wherefore shall the nations say, Where is their God? let there be made known among the nations before our eyes, the vengeance for the blood of thy servants which hath been shed.

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 sighing of the prisoner come before thee: according to the greatness of thy almighty power preserve thou those that are doomed to death;

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

And recompense unto our neighbors sevenfold into their bosom their defiance wherewith they have defied thee, 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].

But we thy people and the flock of thy pasture will give thanks unto thee for ever: from generation to generation will we relate thy praise.