Psalm 79

Faith amid Confusion

A psalm of Asaph.(A)

God, the nations have invaded your inheritance,
desecrated your holy temple,
and turned Jerusalem into ruins.(B)
They gave the corpses of your servants
to the birds of the sky for food,
the flesh of your faithful ones
to the beasts of the earth.(C)
They poured out their blood
like water all around Jerusalem,
and there was no one to bury them.(D)
We have become an object of reproach
to our neighbors,
a source of mockery and ridicule
to those around us.(E)

How long, Lord? Will you be angry forever?
Will your jealousy keep burning like fire?(F)
Pour out your wrath on the nations
that don’t acknowledge you,
on the kingdoms that don’t call on your name,(G)
for they have devoured Jacob
and devastated his homeland.(H)
Do not hold past iniquities[a] against us;
let your compassion come to us quickly,
for we have become very weak.(I)

God of our salvation, help us,(J)
for the glory of your name.
Rescue us and atone for our sins,
for your name’s sake.(K)
10 Why should the nations ask,
“Where is their God?” (L)
Before our eyes,
let vengeance for the shed blood of your servants
be known among the nations.(M)
11 Let the groans of the prisoners reach you;
according to your great power,
preserve those condemned to die.(N)

12 Pay back sevenfold to our neighbors(O)
the reproach they have hurled at you, Lord.(P)
13 Then we, your people, the sheep of your pasture,(Q)
will thank you forever;
we will declare your praise
to generation after generation.(R)

Notas al pie

  1. 79:8 Or hold the sins of past generations

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.
They’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.
They’ve poured out the blood of the faithful
    like water all around Jerusalem,
    and there’s no one left to bury them.
We’ve become a joke to our neighbors,
    nothing but objects of ridicule
    and disapproval to those around us.

How long will you rage, Lord? Forever?
    How long will your anger burn like fire?
Pour out your wrath on the nations
        who don’t know you,
    on the kingdoms
        that haven’t called on your name.
They’ve devoured Jacob
    and demolished his pasture.
Don’t remember the iniquities of past generations;
    let your compassion hurry to meet us
    because we’ve been brought so low.
God of our salvation, help us
    for the glory of your name!
Deliver us and cover our sins
    for the sake of your name!
10 Why 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.
12 Pay back our neighbors seven times over,
    right where it hurts,
    for the insults they used on you, Lord.
13 We 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.