Psalm 79-80

Complete Jewish Bible

79 ⁽⁰⁾A psalm of Asaf:

⁽¹⁾God, the pagans have entered your heritage.
They have defiled your holy temple
and turned Yerushalayim into rubble.
²They have given the corpses of your servants
as food for the birds in the air,
yes, the flesh of those faithful to you
for the wild animals of the earth.
³All around Yerushalayim
they have shed their blood like water,
and no one is left to bury them.
⁴We suffer the taunts of our neighbors,
we are mocked and scorned by those around us.

⁵How long, Adonai?
Will you be angry forever?
How long will your jealousy burn like fire?

⁶Pour out your wrath on the nations that don’t know you,
on the kingdoms that don’t call out your name;
⁷for they have devoured Ya‘akov
and left his home a waste.

⁸Don’t count past iniquities against us,
but let your compassion come quickly to meet us,
for we have been brought very low.
⁹Help us, God of our salvation,
for the sake of the glory of your name.
Deliver us, forgive our sins,
for your name’s sake.
¹⁰Why should the nations ask,
“Where is their God?”

Let the vengeance taken on your servants’ shed blood
be known among the nations before our eyes.
¹¹Let the groaning of the captives come before you;
by your great strength save those condemned to death.

¹²Repay our neighbors sevenfold where they can feel it
for the insults they inflicted on you, Adonai.

¹³Then we, your people and the flock in your pasture,
will give you thanks forever.
From generation to generation
we will proclaim your praise.
80 ⁽⁰⁾For the leader. Set to “Lilies.” A testimony. A psalm of Asaf:

²⁽¹⁾Shepherd of Isra’el, listen!
You who lead Yosef like a flock,
you whose throne is on the k’ruvim,
shine out!
³⁽²⁾Before Efrayim, Binyamin and M’nasheh,
rouse your power; and come to save us.
⁴⁽³⁾God, restore us!
Make your face shine, and we will be saved.

⁵⁽⁴⁾Adonai, God of armies, how long
will you be angry with your people’s prayers?
⁶⁽⁵⁾You have fed them tears as their bread
and made them drink tears in abundance.
⁷⁽⁶⁾You make our neighbors fight over us,
and our enemies mock us.
⁸⁽⁷⁾God of armies, restore us!
Make your face shine, and we will be saved.

⁹⁽⁸⁾You brought a vine out of Egypt,
you expelled the nations and planted it,
¹⁰⁽⁹⁾you cleared a space for it;
then it took root firmly and filled the land.
¹¹⁽¹⁰⁾The mountains were covered with its shade,
the mighty cedars with its branches;
¹²⁽¹¹⁾It put out branches as far as the sea
and shoots to the [Euphrates] River.

¹³⁽¹²⁾Why did you break down [the vineyard’s] wall,
so that all passing by can pluck [its fruit]?
¹⁴⁽¹³⁾The boar from the forest tears it apart;
wild creatures from the fields feed on it.

¹⁵⁽¹⁴⁾God of armies, please come back!
Look from heaven, see, and tend this vine!
¹⁶⁽¹⁵⁾Protect what your right hand planted,
the son you made strong for yourself.
¹⁷⁽¹⁶⁾It is burned by fire, it is cut down;
they perish at your frown of rebuke.
¹⁸⁽¹⁷⁾Help the man at your right hand,
the son of man you made strong for yourself.

¹⁹⁽¹⁸⁾Then we won’t turn away from you —
if you revive us, we will call on your name.
²⁰⁽¹⁹⁾Adonai, God of armies, restore us!
Make your face shine, and we will be saved.