Psalm 79:1–83:18
1 O God, the 1nations have come into aYour inheritance;
Your holy temple they have defiled;
bThey have laid Jerusalem 2in heaps.
2 cThe dead bodies of Your servants—
They have given as food for the birds of the heavens,
The flesh of Your saints to the beasts of the earth.
3 Their blood they have shed like water all around Jerusalem,
And there was no one to bury them.
4 We have become a reproach to our dneighbors,
A scorn and derision to those who are around us.
5 eHow long, Lord?
Will You be angry forever?
Will Your fjealousy burn like fire?
6 gPour out Your wrath on the 3nations that hdo not know You,
And on the kingdoms that ido not call on Your name.
7 For they have devoured Jacob,
And laid waste his dwelling place.
8 jOh, do not remember 4former iniquities against us!
Let Your tender mercies come speedily to meet us,
For we have been brought very low.
9 Help us, O God of our salvation,
For the glory of Your name;
And deliver us, and provide atonement for our sins,
kFor Your name’s sake!
10 lWhy should the 5nations say,
“Where is their God?”
Let there be known among the nations in our sight
The avenging of the blood of Your servants which has been shed.
11 Let mthe groaning of the prisoner come before You;
According to the greatness of Your 6power
Preserve those who are appointed to die;
12 And return to our neighbors nsevenfold into their bosom
oTheir reproach with which they have reproached You, O Lord.
13 So pwe, Your people and sheep of Your pasture,
Will give You thanks forever;
qWe will show forth Your praise to all generations.
Prayer for Israel’s Restoration
To the Chief Musician. aSet to 1“The Lilies.” A 2Testimony of Asaph. A Psalm.
1 Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, bYou who lead Joseph clike a flock;
You who dwell between the cherubim, dshine forth!
2 Before eEphraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh,
Stir up Your strength,
And come and save us!
3 fRestore us, O God;
gCause Your face to shine,
And we shall be saved!
hHow long will You be angry
Against the prayer of Your people?
5 iYou have fed them with the bread of tears,
And given them tears to drink in great measure.
6 You have made us a strife to our neighbors,
And our enemies laugh among themselves.
Cause Your face to shine,
And we shall be saved!
8 You have brought ja vine out of Egypt;
kYou have cast out the 3nations, and planted it.
And caused it to take deep root,
And it filled the land.
10 The hills were covered with its shadow,
And the 4mighty cedars with its lboughs.
11 She sent out her boughs to 5the Sea,
And her branches to 6the River.
12 Why have You mbroken down her 7hedges,
So that all who pass by the way pluck her fruit?
13 The boar out of the woods uproots it,
And the wild beast of the field devours it.
14 Return, we beseech You, O God of hosts;
nLook down from heaven and see,
And visit this vine
15 And the vineyard which Your right hand has planted,
And the branch that You made strong ofor Yourself.
16 It is burned with fire, it is cut down;
pThey perish at the rebuke of Your countenance.
17 qLet Your hand be upon the man of Your right hand,
Upon the son of man whom You made strong for Yourself.
18 Then we will not turn back from You;
Revive us, and we will call upon Your name.
19 Restore us, O Lord God of hosts;
Cause Your face to shine,
And we shall be saved!
An Appeal for Israel’s Repentance
To the Chief Musician. aOn 1An Instrument of Gath. A Psalm of Asaph.
1 Sing aloud to God our strength;
Make a joyful shout to the God of Jacob.
2 Raise a song and strike the timbrel,
The pleasant harp with the lute.
3 Blow the trumpet at the time of the New Moon,
At the full moon, on our solemn feast day.
4 For bthis is a statute for Israel,
A law of the God of Jacob.
5 This He established in Joseph as a testimony,
When He went throughout the land of Egypt,
cWhere I heard a language I did not understand.
6 “I removed his shoulder from the burden;
His hands were freed from the baskets.
7 dYou called in trouble, and I delivered you;
eI answered you in the secret place of thunder;
I ftested you at the waters of 2Meribah.
Selah
8 “Hear, gO My people, and I will admonish you!
O Israel, if you will listen to Me!
9 There shall be no hforeign god among you;
Nor shall you worship any foreign god.
10 iI am the Lord your God,
Who brought you out of the land of Egypt;
jOpen your mouth wide, and I will fill it.
11 “But My people would not heed My voice,
And Israel would have knone of Me.
12 lSo I gave them over to 3their own stubborn heart,
To walk in their own counsels.
13 “Oh, mthat My people would listen to Me,
That Israel would walk in My ways!
14 I would soon subdue their enemies,
And turn My hand against their adversaries.
15 nThe haters of the Lord would pretend submission to Him,
But their 4fate would endure forever.
16 He would ohave fed them also with 5the finest of wheat;
And with honey pfrom the rock I would have satisfied you.”
A Psalm of Asaph.
1 God astands in the congregation of 1the mighty;
2 How long will you judge unjustly,
And cshow partiality to the wicked?
Selah
3 3Defend the poor and fatherless;
Do justice to the afflicted and dneedy.
Free them from the hand of the wicked.
5 They do not know, nor do they understand;
They walk about in darkness;
All the efoundations of the earth are 4unstable.
And all of you are children of the Most High.
And fall like one of the princes.”
8 Arise, O God, judge the earth;
gFor You shall inherit all nations.
Prayer to Frustrate Conspiracy Against Israel
A Song. A Psalm of Asaph.
1 Do anot keep silent, O God!
Do not hold Your peace,
And do not be still, O God!
2 For behold, bYour enemies make a 1tumult;
And those who hate You have 2lifted up their head.
3 They have taken crafty counsel against Your people,
And consulted together cagainst Your sheltered ones.
4 They have said, “Come, and dlet us cut them off from being a nation,
That the name of Israel may be remembered no more.”
5 For they have consulted together with one 3consent;
They 4form a confederacy against You:
6 eThe tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites;
Moab and the Hagrites;
Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre;
8 Assyria also has joined with them;
They have helped the children of Lot.
Selah
9 Deal with them as with fMidian,
As with gSisera,
As with Jabin at the Brook Kishon,
hWho became as refuse on the earth.
11 Make their nobles like iOreb and like Zeeb,
Yes, all their princes like jZebah and Zalmunna,
12 Who said, “Let us take for ourselves
The pastures of God for a possession.”
13 kO my God, make them like the whirling dust,
lLike the chaff before the wind!
14 As the fire burns the woods,
And as the flame msets the mountains on fire,
15 So pursue them with Your tempest,
And frighten them with Your storm.
16 Fill their faces with shame,
That they may seek Your name, O Lord.
17 Let them be 5confounded and dismayed forever;
Yes, let them be put to shame and perish,
18 nThat they may know that You, whose oname alone is the Lord,
Are pthe Most High over all the earth.