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Psalm 79
The Message
Psalm 79
The Message
79 1-4 God! Barbarians have broken into your home,
violated your holy temple,
left Jerusalem a pile of rubble!
They’ve served up the corpses of your servants
as carrion food for birds of prey,
Threw the bones of your holy people
out to the wild animals to gnaw on.
They dumped out their blood
like buckets of water.
All around Jerusalem, their bodies
were left to rot, unburied.
We’re nothing but a joke to our neighbors,
graffiti scrawled on the city walls.
5-7 How long do we have to put up with this, God?
Do you have it in for us for good?
Will your smoldering rage never cool down?
If you’re going to be angry, be angry
with the pagans who care nothing about you,
or your rival kingdoms who ignore you.
They’re the ones who ruined Jacob,
who wrecked and looted the place where he lived.
8-10 Don’t blame us for the sins of our parents.
Hurry up and help us; we’re at the end of our rope.
You’re famous for helping; God, give us a break.
Your reputation is on the line.
Pull us out of this mess, forgive us our sins—
do what you’re famous for doing!
Don’t let the heathen get by with their sneers:
“Where’s your God? Is he out to lunch?”
Go public and show the godless world
that they can’t kill your servants and get by with it.
11-13 Give groaning prisoners a hearing;
pardon those on death row from their doom—you can do it!
Give our jeering neighbors what they’ve got coming to them;
let their God-taunts boomerang and knock them flat.
Then we, your people, the ones you love and care for,
will thank you over and over and over.
We’ll tell everyone we meet
how wonderful you are, how praiseworthy you are!
Psalm 79
English Standard Version
Psalm 79
English Standard Version
How Long, O Lord?
A Psalm of (A)Asaph.
79 O God, (B)the nations have come into your (C)inheritance;
they have defiled your (D)holy temple;
they have (E)laid Jerusalem in ruins.
2 They have given (F)the bodies of your servants
to the birds of the heavens for food,
the flesh of your (G)faithful to (H)the beasts of the earth.
3 They have poured out their blood like water
all around Jerusalem,
and there was (I)no one to bury them.
4 We have become (J)a taunt to our neighbors,
(K)mocked and derided by those around us.
5 (L)How long, O Lord? Will you be angry (M)forever?
Will your (N)jealousy (O)burn like fire?
6 (P)Pour out your anger on the nations
that (Q)do not know you,
and on the kingdoms
that (R)do not call upon your name!
7 For they have devoured Jacob
and laid waste his habitation.
8 (S)Do not remember against us (T)our former iniquities;[a]
let your compassion come speedily to meet us,
for we are (U)brought very low.
9 (V)Help us, O God of our salvation,
for the glory of your name;
deliver us, and (W)atone for our sins,
for your (X)name's sake!
10 (Y)Why should the nations say,
“Where is their God?”
Let (Z)the avenging of the outpoured blood of your servants
be known among the nations before our eyes!
11 Let (AA)the groans of the prisoners come before you;
according to your great power, preserve those (AB)doomed to die!
12 Return (AC)sevenfold into the (AD)lap of our neighbors
the (AE)taunts with which they have taunted you, O Lord!
13 But we your people, the (AF)sheep of your pasture,
will (AG)give thanks to you forever;
from generation to generation we will recount your praise.
Footnotes
- Psalm 79:8 Or the iniquities of former generations
Psalm 79
New English Translation
Psalm 79
New English Translation
Psalm 79[a]
A psalm of Asaph.
79 O God, foreigners[b] have invaded your chosen land;[c]
they have polluted your holy temple
and turned Jerusalem into a heap of ruins.
2 They have given the corpses of your servants
to the birds of the sky,[d]
the flesh of your loyal followers
to the beasts of the earth.
3 They have made their blood flow like water
all around Jerusalem, and there is no one to bury them.[e]
4 We have become an object of disdain to our neighbors;
those who live on our borders taunt and insult us.[f]
5 How long will this go on, O Lord?[g]
Will you stay angry forever?
How long will your rage[h] burn like fire?
6 Pour out your anger on the nations that do not acknowledge you,[i]
on the kingdoms that do not pray to you.[j]
7 For they have devoured Jacob
and destroyed his home.
8 Do not hold us accountable for the sins of earlier generations.[k]
Quickly send your compassion our way,[l]
for we are in serious trouble.[m]
9 Help us, O God, our deliverer!
For the sake of your glorious reputation,[n] rescue us.
Forgive our sins for the sake of your reputation.[o]
10 Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?”
Before our very eyes may the shed blood of your servants
be avenged among the nations.[p]
11 Listen to the painful cries of the prisoners.[q]
Use your great strength to set free those condemned to die.[r]
12 Pay back our neighbors in full.[s]
May they be insulted the same way they insulted you, O Lord.[t]
13 Then we, your people, the sheep of your pasture,
will continually thank you.[u]
We will tell coming generations of your praiseworthy acts.[v]
Footnotes
- Psalm 79:1 sn Psalm 79. The author laments how the invading nations have destroyed the temple and city of Jerusalem. He asks God to forgive his people and to pour out his vengeance on those who have mistreated them.
- Psalm 79:1 tn Or “nations.”
- Psalm 79:1 tn Heb “have come into your inheritance.”
- Psalm 79:2 tn Heb “[as] food for the birds of the sky.”
- Psalm 79:3 tn Heb “they have poured out their blood like water, all around Jerusalem, and there is no one burying.”
- Psalm 79:4 tn Heb “an [object of] taunting and [of] mockery to those around us.” See Ps 44:13.
- Psalm 79:5 tn Heb “How long, O Lord?”
- Psalm 79:5 tn Or “jealous anger.”
- Psalm 79:6 tn Heb “which do not know you.” Here the Hebrew term “know” means “acknowledge the authority of.”
- Psalm 79:6 sn The kingdoms that do not pray to you. The people of these kingdoms pray to other gods, not the Lord, because they do not recognize his authority over them.
- Psalm 79:8 tn Heb “do not remember against us sins, former.” Some understand “former” as an attributive adjective modifying sins, “former [i.e., chronologically prior] sins” (see BDB 911 s.v. רִאשׁוֹן). The present translation assumes that רִאשֹׁנִים (riʾshonim, “former”) here refers to those who lived formerly, that is, the people’s ancestors (see Lam 5:7). The word is used in this way in Lev 26:45; Deut 19:14 and Eccl 1:11.
- Psalm 79:8 tn Heb “may your compassion quickly confront us.” The prefixed verbal form is understood as a jussive, indicating a tone of prayer.
- Psalm 79:8 tn Heb “for we are very low.”
- Psalm 79:9 tn Heb “the glory of your name.” Here and in the following line “name” stands metonymically for God’s reputation.
- Psalm 79:9 tn Heb “your name.”
- Psalm 79:10 tn Heb “may it be known among the nations, to our eyes, the vengeance of the shed blood of your servants.”
- Psalm 79:11 tn Heb “may the painful cry of the prisoner come before you.”
- Psalm 79:11 tn Heb “according to the greatness of your arm leave the sons of death.” God’s “arm” here symbolizes his strength to deliver. The verbal form הוֹתֵר (hoter) is a Hiphil imperative from יָתַר (yatar, “to remain; to be left over”). Here it must mean “to leave over; to preserve.” However, it is preferable to emend the form to הַתֵּר (hatter), a Hiphil imperative from נָתַר (natar, “be free”). The Hiphil form is used in Ps 105:20 of Pharaoh freeing Joseph from prison. The phrase “sons of death” (see also Ps 102:21) is idiomatic for those condemned to die.
- Psalm 79:12 tn Heb “Return to our neighbors sevenfold into their lap.” The number seven is used rhetorically to express the thorough nature of the action. For other rhetorical/figurative uses of the Hebrew phrase שִׁבְעָתַיִם (shivʿatayim, “seven times”) see Gen 4:15, 24; Ps 12:6; Prov 6:31; Isa 30:26.
- Psalm 79:12 tn Heb “their reproach with which they reproached you, O Lord.”
- Psalm 79:13 tn Or (hyperbolically) “will thank you forever.”
- Psalm 79:13 tn Heb “to a generation and a generation we will report your praise.” Here “praise” stands by metonymy for the mighty acts that prompt worship. Cf. Ps 9:14.
Mga Awit 79
Magandang Balita Biblia
Mga Awit 79
Magandang Balita Biblia
Panalangin Upang Iligtas ang Buong Bansa
Awit ni Asaf.
79 O(A) Diyos,
pinasok ng Hentil ang lupang pangako, hayo't iyong masdan!
Winasak ang lunsod, ang banal mong templo ay nilapastangan;
2 ang mga katawan
ng mga lingkod mo ay ginawang pagkain ng mga ibon,
ang kanilang laman, sa mga halimaw ay ipinalamon.
3 Dugo ng bayan mo'y
ibinubo nila, sa buong palibot nitong Jerusalem,
katulad ay tubig; sa dami ng patay ay walang maglibing.
4 Ang karatig-bansang
doo'y nakasaksi, kami'y kinutya at nagtatawa sila,
lahat sa palibot ay humahalakhak sa gayong nakita.
5 Iyang iyong galit
sa amin, O Yahweh, hanggang kailan ba kaya matatapos?
Di na ba titigil ang pagkagalit mong sa ami'y tutupok?
6 Doon mo ibaling
ang matinding galit sa maraming bansang ayaw kang kilanlin,
mga kahariang ang banal mong ngala'y ayaw na tawagin.
7 Masdan ang ginawa
nila sa bayan mo, ang mga lingkod mo ay pinatay nila,
pati ang tahanan nila ay winasak, walang itinira.
8 Huwag mong parusahan
kaming mga anak, sa pagkakasala ng aming magulang,
ikaw ay mahabag sa mga lingkod mong pag-asa'y pumanaw.
9 Mahabag ka sana,
kami ay tulungan, Diyos na aming Tagapagligtas,
dahil sa ngalan mo, kaming nagkasala'y patawaring ganap;
at sa karangalan ng iyong pangalan, kami ay iligtas.
10 Bakit magtatanong
itong mga bansa ng katagang ito: “Ang Diyos mo'y nasaan?”
Ipaghiganti mo ang mga lingkod mong kanilang pinatay,
ang pagpaparusa'y iyong ipakita sa iyong mga hirang.
11 Iyong kahabagan
ang mga bilanggong kanilang hinuli, dinggin mo ang daing,
sa taglay mong lakas, iligtas mo silang takdang papatayin.
12 Iyong parusahan
yaong mga bansang sa iyo, O Yahweh, lumalapastangan,
parusahan sila ng pitong ibayo sa gawang pag-uyam.
13 Kaya nga, O Yahweh,
kaming iyong lingkod, parang mga tupa sa iyong pastulan,
magpupuring lagi't magpapasalamat sa iyong pangalan!
Psalm 79
New International Version
Psalm 79
New International Version
Psalm 79
A psalm of Asaph.
1 O God, the nations have invaded your inheritance;(A)
they have defiled(B) your holy temple,
they have reduced Jerusalem to rubble.(C)
2 They have left the dead bodies of your servants
as food for the birds of the sky,(D)
the flesh of your own people for the animals of the wild.(E)
3 They have poured out blood like water
all around Jerusalem,
and there is no one to bury(F) the dead.(G)
4 We are objects of contempt to our neighbors,
of scorn(H) and derision to those around us.(I)
5 How long,(J) Lord? Will you be angry(K) forever?
How long will your jealousy burn like fire?(L)
6 Pour out your wrath(M) on the nations
that do not acknowledge(N) you,
on the kingdoms
that do not call on your name;(O)
7 for they have devoured(P) Jacob
and devastated his homeland.
8 Do not hold against us the sins of past generations;(Q)
may your mercy come quickly to meet us,
for we are in desperate need.(R)
9 Help us,(S) God our Savior,
for the glory of your name;
deliver us and forgive our sins
for your name’s sake.(T)
10 Why should the nations say,
“Where is their God?”(U)
Before our eyes, make known among the nations
that you avenge(V) the outpoured blood(W) of your servants.
11 May the groans of the prisoners come before you;
with your strong arm preserve those condemned to die.
12 Pay back into the laps(X) of our neighbors seven times(Y)
the contempt they have hurled at you, Lord.
13 Then we your people, the sheep of your pasture,(Z)
will praise you forever;(AA)
from generation to generation
we will proclaim your praise.
The Message (MSG)
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
New English Translation (NET)
NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.
Magandang Balita Biblia (MBBTAG) 
Magandang Balita Biblia, Copyright © Philippine Bible Society 2012.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.