Psalm 79 is the 79th psalm in the biblical Book of Psalms, one of the Psalms of Asaph. In the slightly different numbering system used in the Greek Septuagint and Latin Vulgate translations of the Bible, this psalm is Psalm 78. The New American Bible (Revised Edition) calls it "a prayer for Jerusalem".[1]
Following is the Hebrew text of Psalm 79, with English translation from the 1917 JPS Bible:
Verse | Hebrew[2] | English |
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1 | מִזְמ֗וֹר לְאָ֫סָ֥ף אֱֽלֹהִ֡ים בָּ֚אוּ גוֹיִ֨ם | בְּנַֽחֲלָתֶ֗ךָ טִ֖מְּאוּ אֶת־הֵיכַ֣ל קָדְשֶׁ֑ךָ שָׂ֖מוּ אֶת־יְרֽוּשָׁלִַ֣ם לְעִיִּֽים | A Psalm of Asaph.
O God, the heathen are come into Thine inheritance; they have defiled Thy holy temple; they have made Jerusalem into heaps. |
2 | נָֽתְנ֡וּ אֶת־נִבְלַ֬ת עֲבָדֶ֗יךָ מַֽ֖אֲכָל לְע֣וֹף הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם בְּשַׂ֥ר חֲ֜סִידֶ֗יךָ לְחַיְתוֹ־אָֽרֶץ | They have given the dead bodies of Thy servants to be food unto the fowls of the heaven,
the flesh of Thy saints unto the beasts of the earth. |
3 | שָֽׁפְכ֬וּ דָמָ֨ם | כַּמַּ֗יִם סְבִ֘יב֚וֹת יְרֽוּשָׁלִַ֗ם וְאֵ֣ין קוֹבֵֽר | They have shed their blood like water round about Jerusalem, with none to bury them. |
4 | הָיִ֣ינוּ חֶ֖רְפָּה לִשְׁכֵנֵ֑ינוּ לַ֣עַג וָ֜קֶ֗לֶס לִסְבִֽיבוֹתֵֽינוּ | We are become a taunt to our neighbours, a scorn and derision to them that are round about us. |
5 | עַד־מָ֣ה יְ֖הֹוָה תֶּֽאֱנַ֣ף לָנֶ֑צַח תִּבְעַ֥ר כְּמוֹ־אֵ֜֗שׁ קִנְאָתֶֽךָ | How long, O LORD, wilt Thou be angry for ever? How long will Thy jealousy burn like fire? |
6 | שְׁפֹ֥ךְ חֲמָֽתְךָ֗ אֶל־הַגּוֹיִם֘ אֲשֶׁ֪ר לֹֽא־יְדָ֫ע֥וּךָ וְעַל־מַמְלָכ֑וֹת אֲשֶׁ֥ר בְּ֜שִׁמְךָ֗ לֹ֣א קָרָֽאוּ | Pour out Thy wrath upon the nations that know Thee not,
and upon the kingdoms that call not upon Thy name. |
7 | כִּֽי־אָכַ֥ל אֶת־יַֽעֲקֹ֑ב וְאֶת־נָוֵ֥הוּ הֵשַֽׁמּוּ | For they have devoured Jacob, and laid waste his habitation. |
8 | אַל־תִּזְכָּר־לָנוּ֘ עֲוֹנֹ֪ת רִֽאשֹׁ֫נִ֥ים מַ֖הֵר יְקַדְּמ֣וּנוּ רַֽחֲמֶ֑יךָ כִּ֖י דַלּ֣וֹנוּ מְאֹֽד | Remember not against us the iniquities of our forefathers;
let Thy compassions speedily come to meet us; for we are brought very low. |
9 | עָזְרֵ֚נוּ | אֱלֹ֘הֵ֚י יִשְׁעֵ֗נוּ עַל־דְּבַ֥ר כְּבוֹד־שְׁמֶ֑ךָ וְהַצִּילֵ֖נוּ וְכַפֵּ֥ר עַל־חַ֜טֹּאתֵ֗ינוּ לְמַ֣עַן שְׁמֶֽךָ | Help us, O God of our salvation, for the sake of the glory of Thy name;
and deliver us, and forgive our sins, for Thy name's sake. |
10 | לָ֚מָּה | יֹֽאמְר֣וּ הַגּוֹיִם֘ אַיֵּ֪ה אֱלֹֽהֵ֫יהֶ֥ם יִוָּדַ֣ע בַּגּוֹיִ֣ם (כתיב בַּגֹּייִ֣ם) לְעֵינֵ֑ינוּ נִ֜קְמַ֗ת דַּם־עֲבָדֶ֥יךָ הַשָּׁפֽוּךְ | Wherefore should the nations say: 'Where is their God?'
Let the avenging of Thy servants' blood that is shed be made known among the nations in our sight. |
11 | תָּב֣וֹא לְפָנֶיךָ֘ אֶנְקַ֪ת אָ֫סִ֥יר כְּגֹ֥דֶל זְרֽוֹעֲךָ֑ ה֜וֹתֵ֗ר בְּנֵ֣י תְמוּתָֽה | Let the groaning of the prisoner come before Thee; according to the greatness of Thy power set free those that are appointed to death; |
12 | וְהָ֘שֵׁ֚ב לִשְׁכֵנֵ֗ינוּ שִׁ֖בְעָתַיִם אֶל־חֵיקָ֑ם חֶרְפָּ֘תָ֚ם אֲשֶׁ֖ר חֵֽרְפ֣וּךָ אֲדֹנָֽי | And render unto our neighbours sevenfold into their bosom their reproach,
wherewith they have reproached Thee, O Lord. |
13 | וַֽאֲנַ֚חְנוּ עַמְּךָ֨ | וְצֹ֥אן מַרְעִיתֶךָ֘ נ֚וֹדֶ֥ה לְּךָ֗ לְע֫וֹלָ֥ם לְד֥וֹר וָדֹ֑ר נְ֜סַפֵּ֗ר תְּהִלָּתֶֽךָ | So we that are Thy people and the flock of Thy pasture will give Thee thanks for ever;
we will tell of Thy praise to all generations. |
The psalm has been described as a communal lament complaining that the nations have defiled the Temple in Jerusalem and murdered the holy people, leaving their corpses unburied (verses 1–4). The occasion is probably the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonian army in 587 B.C.,[1] although Rudinger, Wilhelm de Wette, and some other commentators, suppose that the reference in the psalm is to the later persecutions under Antiochus Epiphanes.[3]
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