Psalm 79

Common English Bible

Psalm 79

A psalm of Asaph.

79 The nations have come into your inheritance, God!
    They’ve defiled your holy temple.
    They’ve made Jerusalem a bunch of ruins.
²They’ve left your servants’ bodies
    as food for the birds;
    they’ve left the flesh of your faithful
    to the wild animals of the earth.
³They’ve poured out the blood of the faithful
    like water all around Jerusalem,
    and there’s no one left to bury them.
⁴We’ve become a joke to our neighbors,
    nothing but objects of ridicule
    and disapproval to those around us.

⁵How long will you rage, Lord? Forever?
    How long will your anger burn like fire?
⁶Pour out your wrath on the nations
        who don’t know you,
    on the kingdoms
        that haven’t called on your name.
⁷They’ve devoured Jacob
    and demolished his pasture.
⁸Don’t remember the iniquities of past generations;
    let your compassion hurry to meet us
    because we’ve been brought so low.
⁹God of our salvation, help us
    for the glory of your name!
Deliver us and cover our sins
    for the sake of your name!
¹⁰Why should the nations say,
    “Where’s their God now?”
Let vengeance for the spilled blood of your servants
    be known among the nations before our very eyes!
¹¹    Let the prisoners’ groaning reach you.
With your powerful arm
    spare those who are destined to die.
¹²Pay back our neighbors seven times over,
    right where it hurts,
    for the insults they used on you, Lord.
¹³We are, after all, your people
    and the sheep of your very own pasture.
We will give you thanks forever;
    we will proclaim your praises
    from one generation to the next.