Faith amid Confusion

¹God, the nations have invaded your inheritance,

desecrated your holy temple,

and turned Jerusalem into ruins.

²They gave the corpses of your servants

to the birds of the sky for food,

the flesh of your faithful ones

to the beasts of the earth.

³They poured out their blood

like water all around Jerusalem,

and there was no one to bury them.

⁴We have become an object of reproach

to our neighbours,

a source of mockery and ridicule

to those around us.

⁵How long, Lord ? Will you be angry for ever?

Will your jealousy keep burning like fire?

⁶Pour out your wrath on the nations

that don’t acknowledge you,

on the kingdoms that don’t call on your name,

⁷for they have devoured Jacob

and devastated his homeland.

⁸Do not hold past iniquities against us;[#79:8 Or hold the sins of past generations]

let your compassion come to us quickly,

for we have become very weak.

⁹God of our salvation, help us,[#79:9 1Ch 16:35; Ps 85:4]

for the glory of your name.

Rescue us and atone for our sins,

for your name’s sake.

¹⁰Why should the nations ask,

‘Where is their God? ’

Before our eyes,

let vengeance for the shed blood of your servants

be known among the nations.

¹¹Let the groans of the prisoners reach you;

according to your great power,

preserve those condemned to die.

¹²Pay back sevenfold to our neighbours[#79:12 Lv 26:21,28]

the reproach they have hurled at you, Lord.

¹³Then we, your people, the sheep of your pasture,[#79:13 Ps 74:1; 100:3]

will thank you for ever;

we will declare your praise

to generation after generation.