Grieving over the Destruction of Jerusalem, and Prayer for Help.

A Psalm of Asaph.

79 God, the (A)nations have [a]invaded (B)Your inheritance;
They have defiled Your (C)holy temple;
They have (D)laid Jerusalem in ruins.
They have given the (E)dead bodies of Your servants to the birds of the sky as food,
The flesh of Your godly ones to the animals of the earth.
They have poured out their blood like water all around Jerusalem;
And there was (F)no one to bury them.
We have become a (G)disgrace before our neighbors,
An object of derision and ridicule to those around us.
(H)How long, Lord? Will You be angry forever?
Will Your (I)jealousy (J)burn like fire?
(K)Pour out Your wrath upon the nations which (L)do not know You,
And upon the kingdoms which (M)do not call upon Your name.
For they have (N)devoured Jacob
And (O)laid waste his [b]settlement.

(P)Do not [c]hold us responsible for [d]the guilty deeds of our forefathers;
Let Your compassion come quickly to (Q)meet us,
For we have (R)become very low.
(S)Help us, God of our salvation, for the glory of (T)Your name;
And save us and [e](U)forgive our sins (V)for the sake of Your name.
10 (W)Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?”
Let (X)vengeance for the blood of Your servants which has been shed
Be known among the nations in our sight.
11 Let (Y)the groaning of the prisoner come before You;
According to the greatness of Your [f]power, let [g]those who are (Z)doomed to die remain.
12 And return to our neighbors (AA)seven times as much (AB)into their lap
Their (AC)taunts with which they have taunted You, Lord.
13 So we Your people and the (AD)sheep of Your [h]pasture
Will (AE)give thanks to You forever;
To all generations we will (AF)tell of Your praise.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 79:1 Lit come into
  2. Psalm 79:7 Lit pasture
  3. Psalm 79:8 Lit remember against us
  4. Psalm 79:8 Or our former sins
  5. Psalm 79:9 Lit cover over, atone for
  6. Psalm 79:11 Lit arm
  7. Psalm 79:11 Lit the sons of death
  8. Psalm 79:13 Or pasturing

A Psalm of Asaph

A Prayer for Jerusalem

79 God, nations have invaded your land[a]
    to desecrate your holy Temple,
        to destroy Jerusalem,
to give the corpses of your servants
    as food for the birds of the skies
and the flesh of your godly ones
    to the beasts of the earth;
to make their blood flow like water around Jerusalem,
    with no one being buried.
We have become a reproach to our neighbors,
    a mockery and a derision to those around us.

How long, Lord, will you be angry? Forever?
    Will your jealousy burn like fire?
Pour out your wrath upon the nations
    that do not acknowledge you,
and over the kingdoms
    that do not call on your name.
    For they consumed Jacob,
    making his dwelling place desolate.

Don’t charge[b] us for previous iniquity,
    but let your compassion come quickly to us,
        for we have been brought very low.
Help us, God, our deliverer,
    on account of your glorious name,
deliver us and forgive[c] our sins
    on account of your name.

10 Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?”
    Let vengeance for the blood of your servants be meted[d] out
        before our eyes and among the nations.
11 Let the cries of the prisoners reach you.
    With the strength of your power,
        release those condemned to death.[e]
12 Pay back our neighbors seven times[f]
    the reproach with which they reproached you, Lord.
13     Then we, your people, the sheep of your pasture,
    will praise you always, from generation to generation.
        We will declare your praise.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 79:1 Lit. your possession; or your inheritance
  2. Psalm 79:8 Lit. remember
  3. Psalm 79:9 Lit. cover
  4. Psalm 79:10 Lit. spilled
  5. Psalm 79:11 Lit. the sons of death
  6. Psalm 79:12 Or seven-fold