Psalm 79

Psalm 79

Faith amid Confusion

A psalm of Asaph. ^w

¹God, the nations have invaded Your inheritance,

desecrated Your holy temple,

and turned Jerusalem into ruins. ^x

²They 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. ^y

³They poured out their blood

like water all around Jerusalem,

and there was no one to bury them. ^z

⁴We have become an object of reproach

to our neighbors,

a source of mockery and ridicule

to those around us. ^a

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

Will Your jealousy keep burning like fire? ^b

⁶Pour out Your wrath on the nations

that don’t acknowledge You,

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

⁷for they have devoured Jacob

and devastated his homeland. ^d

⁸Do not hold past sins ^eagainst us;

let Your compassion come to us quickly,

for we have become weak. ^f

⁹God of our salvation, help us ^g—

for the glory of Your name.

Deliver us and atone for ^hour sins,

because of Your name. ⁱ

¹⁰Why should the nations ask,

“Where is their God?” ^j

Before our eyes,

let vengeance for the shed blood of Your servants

be known among the nations. ^k

¹¹Let the groans of the prisoners reach You;

according to Your great power,

preserve those condemned to die. ^l

¹²Pay back sevenfold to our neighbors ^m

the reproach they have hurled at You, Lord. ⁿ

¹³Then we, Your people, the sheep of Your pasture, ^o

will thank You forever;

we will declare Your praise

to generation after generation. ^p