79 O God, the heathen have come into Thine inheritance; Thy holy temple have they defiled, they have laid Jerusalem in heaps.

² The dead bodies of Thy servants have they given to be meat unto the fowls of the heavens, the flesh of Thy saints unto the beasts of the earth.

³ Their blood have they shed like water round about Jerusalem, and there was none to bury them.

⁴ We have become a reproach to our neighbors, a scorn and derision to them that are round about us.

⁵ How long, Lord? Wilt Thou be angry for ever? Shall Thy jealousy burn like fire?

⁶ Pour out Thy wrath upon the heathen that have not known Thee, and upon the kingdoms that have not called upon Thy name;

⁷ for they have devoured Jacob and laid waste his dwelling place.

⁸ O remember not former iniquities against us; let Thy tender mercies go speedily before us, for we are brought very low.

⁹ Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of Thy name; and deliver us and purge away our sins, for Thy name’s sake.

¹⁰ Why should the heathen say, “Where is their God?” Let Him be known among the heathen in our sight by the avenging of the blood of Thy servants which is shed.

¹¹ Let the sighing of the prisoner come before Thee; according to the greatness of Thy power, preserve Thou those that are appointed to die.

¹² And render unto the bosom of our neighbors sevenfold their reproach wherewith they have reproached Thee, O Lord.

¹³ So we Thy people and the sheep of Thy pasture, will give Thee thanks for ever; we will show forth Thy praise to all generations.

80 Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, Thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; Thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth.

² Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh, stir up Thy strength, and come and save us.

³ Turn us again, O God, and cause Thy face to shine, and we shall be saved.

⁴ O Lord God of hosts, how long wilt Thou be angry against the prayer of Thy people?

⁵ Thou feedest them with the bread of tears, and givest them tears to drink in great measure.

⁶ Thou makest us a strife unto our neighbors, and our enemies laugh among themselves.

⁷ Turn us again, O God of hosts, and cause Thy face to shine, and we shall be saved.

⁸ Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt; Thou hast cast out the heathen, and planted it.

⁹ Thou preparedst room for it, and didst cause it to take deep root, and it filled the land.

¹⁰ The hills were covered with the shadow of it, and the boughs thereof were like the goodly cedars.

¹¹ She sent out her boughs unto the sea, and her branches unto the river.

¹² Why hast Thou then broken down her hedges, so that all they that pass by the way do pluck her?

¹³ The boar out of the wood doth waste it, and the wild beast of the field doth devour it.

¹⁴ Return, we beseech Thee, O God of hosts; look down from heaven, and behold and visit this vine,

¹⁵ and the vineyard which Thy right hand hath planted, and the branch that Thou madest strong for Thyself.

¹⁶ It is burned with fire, it is cut down; they perish at the rebuke of Thy countenance.

¹⁷ Let Thy hand be upon the man of Thy right hand, upon the son of man whom Thou madest strong for Thyself.

¹⁸ So will we not go back from Thee; quicken us, and we will call upon Thy name.

¹⁹ Turn us again, O Lord God of hosts; cause Thy face to shine, and we shall be saved!

11 I ask then: Hath God cast away His people? God forbid! For I also am an Israelite of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.

² God hath not cast away His people whom He foreknew. Know ye not what the Scripture saith of Elijah, how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying,

³ “Lord, they have killed Thy prophets and torn down Thine altars, and I am left alone and they seek my life”?

⁴ But what saith the answer of God unto him? “I have reserved to Myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal.”

⁵ Even so then, at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.

⁶ And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it be by works, then it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.

⁷ What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded,

⁸ according as it is written: “God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear, unto this day.”

⁹ And David saith, “Let their table be made a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a recompense unto them.

¹⁰ Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their backs alway.”

¹¹ I say then: Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid! But rather, through their fall salvation has come unto the Gentiles to provoke them to jealousy.

¹² Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles, how much more their fullness?

¹³ For I speak to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my office,

¹⁴ that by any means I may provoke to emulation those who are my flesh, and might save some of them.

¹⁵ For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?

¹⁶ For if the firstfruit be holy, the whole lump is also holy; and if the root be holy, so are the branches.

¹⁷ And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree,

¹⁸ boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.