Psalm 79

¹O God, the nations have come into your heritage; they have made your holy Temple unclean; they have made Jerusalem a mass of broken walls.

²They have given the bodies of your servants as food to the birds of the air, and the flesh of your saints to the beasts of the earth.

³Their blood has been flowing like water round about Jerusalem; there was no one to put them in their last resting-place.

⁴We are looked down on by our neighbours, we are laughed at and made sport of by those who are round us.

⁵How long, O Lord? will you be angry for ever? will your wrath go on burning like fire?

⁶Let your wrath be on the nations who have no knowledge of you, and on the kingdoms who have not made prayer to your name.

⁷For they have taken Jacob for their meat, and made waste his house.

⁸Do not keep in mind against us the sins of our fathers; let your mercy come to us quickly, for we have been made very low.

⁹Give us help, O God of our salvation, for the glory of your name; take us out of danger and give us forgiveness for our sins, because of your name.

¹⁰Why may the nations say, Where is their God? Let payment for the blood of your servants be made openly among the nations before our eyes.

¹¹Let the cry of the prisoner come before you; with your strong arm make free the children of death;

¹²And give punishment seven times over into the breast of our neighbours for the bitter words which they have said against you, O Lord.

¹³So we your people, and the sheep of your flock, will give you glory for ever: we will go on praising you through all generations.