Psalms 79
79
Psalm 79
A psalm by Asaph.
1O God, the nations have invaded the land that belongs to you.
They have dishonored your holy temple.
They have left Jerusalem in ruins.
2They 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.
3They have shed the blood of your people around Jerusalem
as though it were water.
There is no one to bury your people.
4We have become a disgrace to our neighbors,
an object of ridicule and contempt to those around us.
5How long, O Lord?
Will you remain angry forever?
Will your fury continue to burn like fire?
6Pour your fury on the nations that do not know you,
on the kingdoms that have not called you.
7They have devoured Jacob.
They have destroyed his home.
8Do not hold the crimes of our ancestors against us.
Reach out to us soon with your compassion,
because we are helpless.
9Help us, O God, our savior, for the glory of your name.
Rescue us, and forgive our sins for the honor of your name.
10Why should the nations ⌞be allowed to⌟ say,
“Where is their God?”
Let us watch as the nations learn
that there is punishment for shedding the blood of your servants.
11Let the groans of prisoners come into your presence.
With your powerful arm rescue those who are condemned to death.
12Pay each one of our neighbors back
with seven times the number of insults they used to insult you, O Lord.
13Then we, your people, the flock in your pasture,
will give thanks to you forever.
We will praise you throughout every generation.
Currently Selected:
Psalms 79: GW
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
GOD'S WORD® Translation ©1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God's Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.
Psalms 79
79
1-4God! Barbarians have broken into your home,
violated your holy temple,
left Jerusalem a pile of rubble!
They’ve served up the corpses of your servants
as carrion food for birds of prey,
Threw the bones of your holy people
out to the wild animals to gnaw on.
They dumped out their blood
like buckets of water.
All around Jerusalem, their bodies
were left to rot, unburied.
We’re nothing but a joke to our neighbors,
graffiti scrawled on the city walls.
5-7How long do we have to put up with this, God?
Do you have it in for us for good?
Will your smoldering rage never cool down?
If you’re going to be angry, be angry
with the pagans who care nothing about you,
or your rival kingdoms who ignore you.
They’re the ones who ruined Jacob,
who wrecked and looted the place where he lived.
8-10Don’t blame us for the sins of our parents.
Hurry up and help us; we’re at the end of our rope.
You’re famous for helping; God, give us a break.
Your reputation is on the line.
Pull us out of this mess, forgive us our sins—
do what you’re famous for doing!
Don’t let the heathen get by with their sneers:
“Where’s your God? Is he out to lunch?”
Go public and show the godless world
that they can’t kill your servants and get by with it.
11-13Give groaning prisoners a hearing;
pardon those on death row from their doom—you can do it!
Give our jeering neighbors what they’ve got coming to them;
let their God-taunts boomerang and knock them flat.
Then we, your people, the ones you love and care for,
will thank you over and over and over.
We’ll tell everyone we meet
how wonderful you are, how praiseworthy you are!
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved. Used by permission of NavPress. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.