Psalm 79:1–8

1 O God, the nations have invaded your inheritance;

they have defiled your holy temple,

they have reduced Jerusalem to rubble.

2 They have left the dead bodies of your servants

as food for the birds of the sky,

the flesh of your own people for the animals of the wild.

3 They have poured out blood like water

all around Jerusalem,

and there is no one to bury the dead.

4 We are objects of contempt to our neighbors,

of scorn and derision to those around us.

5 How long, Lord? Will you be angry forever?

How long will your jealousy burn like fire?

6 Pour out your wrath on the nations

that do not acknowledge you,

on the kingdoms

that do not call on your name;

7 for they have devoured Jacob

and devastated his homeland.

8 Do not hold against us the sins of past generations;

may your mercy come quickly to meet us,

for we are in desperate need.

1 O God, the nations have come into your inheritance;

they have defiled your holy temple;

they have laid Jerusalem in ruins.

2 They have given the bodies of your servants

to the birds of the heavens for food,

the flesh of your faithful to the beasts of the earth.

3 They have poured out their blood like water

all around Jerusalem,

and there was no one to bury them.

4 We have become a taunt to our neighbors,

mocked and derided by those around us.

5 How long, O Lord? Will you be angry forever?

Will your jealousy burn like fire?

6 Pour out your anger on the nations

that do not know you,

and on the kingdoms

that do not call upon your name!

7 For they have devoured Jacob

and laid waste his habitation.

8 Do not remember against us our former iniquities;

let your compassion come speedily to meet us,

for we are brought very low.

1 O God, the heathen are come into thine inheritance;

Thy holy temple have they defiled;

They have laid Jerusalem on heaps.

2 The dead bodies of thy servants have they given

To be meat unto the fowls of the heaven,

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 are become a reproach to our neighbours,

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 against us former iniquities:

Let thy tender mercies speedily prevent us:

For we are brought very low.

1 O God, pagan nations have conquered your land,

your special possession.

They have defiled your holy Temple

and made Jerusalem a heap of ruins.

2 They have left the bodies of your servants

as food for the birds of heaven.

The flesh of your godly ones

has become food for the wild animals.

3 Blood has flowed like water all around Jerusalem;

no one is left to bury the dead.

4 We are mocked by our neighbors,

an object of scorn and derision to those around us.

5 O Lord, how long will you be angry with us? Forever?

How long will your jealousy burn like fire?

6 Pour out your wrath on the nations that refuse to acknowledge you—

on kingdoms that do not call upon your name.

7 For they have devoured your people Israel,

making the land a desolate wilderness.

8 Do not hold us guilty for the sins of our ancestors!

Let your compassion quickly meet our needs,

for we are on the brink of despair.

1 O God, the nations have come into Your inheritance;

Your holy temple they have defiled;

They have laid Jerusalem in heaps.

2 The 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 neighbors,

A scorn and derision to those who are around us.

5 How long, Lord?

Will You be angry forever?

Will Your jealousy burn like fire?

6 Pour out Your wrath on the nations that do not know You,

And on the kingdoms that do not call on Your name.

7 For they have devoured Jacob,

And laid waste his dwelling place.

8 Oh, do not remember former iniquities against us!

Let Your tender mercies come speedily to meet us,

For we have been brought very low.

1 God, nations have come against your chosen people.

They have ruined your holy Temple.

They have turned Jerusalem into ruins.

2 They have given the bodies of your servants as food to the wild birds.

They have given the bodies of those who worship you to the wild animals.

3 They have spilled blood like water all around Jerusalem.

No one was left to bury the dead.

4 We are a joke to the other nations;

they laugh and make fun of us.

5 Lord, how long will this last?

Will you be angry forever?

How long will your jealousy burn like a fire?

6 Be angry with the nations that do not know you

and with the kingdoms that do not honor you.

7 They have gobbled up the people of Jacob

and destroyed their land.

8 Don’t punish us for our past sins.

Show your mercy to us soon,

because we are helpless!

1 O God, the nations are 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 fowl 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 are become a reproach to our neighbours, a mockery and a derision to them that are round about us. 5 How long, O Jehovah? wilt thou be angry for ever? Shall thy jealousy burn like fire?

6 Pour out thy fury upon the nations that have not known thee, and upon the kingdoms that call not upon thy name: 7 For they have devoured Jacob, and laid waste his habitation. 8 Remember not against us the iniquities of our forefathers; let thy tender mercies speedily come to meet us: for we are brought very low.

1 O God, the nations have invaded the land that belongs to you. 

They have dishonored your holy temple. 

They have left Jerusalem in ruins. 

2 They have given the dead bodies of your servants 

to the birds for food. 

They have given the flesh of your godly ones 

to the animals. 

3 They have shed the blood of your people around Jerusalem 

as though it were water. 

There is no one to bury your people. 

4 We have become a disgrace to our neighbors, 

an object of ridicule and contempt to those around us. 

5 How long, O Lord? 

Will you remain angry forever? 

Will your fury continue to burn like fire? 

6 Pour your fury on the nations that do not know you, 

on the kingdoms that have not called you. 

7 They have devoured Jacob. 

They have destroyed his home. 

8 Do not hold the crimes of our ancestors against us. 

Reach out to us soon with your compassion, 

because we are helpless. 

1 God, the nations have invaded Your inheritance,

desecrated Your holy temple,

and turned Jerusalem into ruins.

2 They gave the corpses of Your servants

to the birds of the sky for food,

the flesh of Your godly ones

to the beasts of the earth.

3 They poured out their blood

like water all around Jerusalem,

and there was no one to bury them.

4 We have become an object of reproach

to our neighbors,

a source of mockery and ridicule

to those around us.

5 How long, Yahweh? Will You be angry forever?

Will Your jealousy keep burning like fire?

6 Pour out Your wrath on the nations

that don’t acknowledge You,

on the kingdoms that don’t call on Your name,

7 for they have devoured Jacob

and devastated his homeland.

8 Do not hold past sins against us;

let Your compassion come to us quickly,

for we have become weak.

1 O God, the nations have come into your inheritance;

they have defiled your holy temple;

they have laid Jerusalem in ruins.

2 They have given the bodies of your servants

to the birds of the air for food,

the flesh of your faithful to the wild animals of the earth.

3 They have poured out their blood like water

all around Jerusalem,

and there was no one to bury them.

4 We have become a taunt to our neighbors,

mocked and derided by those around us.

5 How long, O Lord? Will you be angry forever?

Will your jealous wrath burn like fire?

6 Pour out your anger on the nations

that do not know you

and on the kingdoms

that do not call on your name.

7 For they have devoured Jacob

and laid waste his habitation.

8 Do not remember against us the iniquities of our ancestors;

let your compassion come speedily to meet us,

for we are brought very low.

1 O God, the nations have entered your inheritance;

they have defiled your holy temple;

they have reduced Jerusalem to ruins.

2 They have given the bodies of your servants

as food for the birds of the heavens,

the flesh of your faithful to the beasts of the earth.

3 They have poured out their blood like water

all around Jerusalem,

and there was none to bury them.

4 We have become a taunt to our neighbors,

a derision and a scorn to those around us.

5 How long, O Yahweh? Will you be angry forever?

Will your jealousy burn like fire?

6 Pour out your anger on the nations

that do not know you,

and on the kingdoms

that do not call on your name,

7 because they have devoured Jacob

and have laid waste his habitation.

8 Do not remember against us former iniquities;

let your mercies meet us quickly

because we are brought very low.

1 God, an army from the nations has attacked your land.

They have polluted your holy temple.

They have completely destroyed Jerusalem.

2 They have given the dead bodies of your people

as food to the birds of the air.

They have given the bodies of your faithful people

to the animals of the earth.

3 They have poured out the blood of your people like water

all around Jerusalem.

No one is left to bury the dead.

4 We are something our neighbors joke about.

The nations around us laugh at us and make fun of us.

5 Lord, how long will you be angry with us? Will it be forever?

How long will your jealousy burn like fire?

6 Pour out your burning anger on the nations

that don’t pay any attention to you.

Pour it out on the kingdoms

that don’t worship you.

7 They have swallowed up the people of Jacob.

They have destroyed Israel’s homeland.

8 Don’t hold against us the sins of our people who lived before us.

May you be quick to show us your tender love.

We are in great need.

1 O God, the nations have invaded Your inheritance;

They have defiled Your holy temple;

They have laid Jerusalem in ruins.

2 They have given the dead bodies of Your servants for food to the birds of the heavens,

The flesh of Your godly ones to the beasts of the earth.

3 They have poured out their blood like water round about Jerusalem;

And there was no one to bury them.

4 We have become a reproach to our neighbors,

A scoffing and derision to those around us.

5 How long, O Lord? Will You be angry forever?

Will Your jealousy burn like fire?

6 Pour out Your wrath upon the nations which do not know You,

And upon the kingdoms which do not call upon Your name.

7 For they have devoured Jacob

And laid waste his habitation.

8 Do not remember the iniquities of our forefathers against us;

Let Your compassion come quickly to meet us,

For we are brought very low.