Psalms 79 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.

A song of Asaph. God, the nations have invaded your land. They have desecrated your set-apart temple. They have turned Jerusalem into a heap of rubble.

They have left the dead bodies of your servants as food for the birds of the sky, the flesh of your faithful ones for the wild animals of the earth.

They have poured out their blood like water all around Jerusalem, and there was no one left to bury them.

We have become an object of scorn to our neighbors, mocked and ridiculed by everyone around us.

How long, Yahweh? Will you be angry forever? How long will your fierce passion burn like fire?

Pour out your fury on the nations that refuse to acknowledge you, on the kingdoms that do not call on your name.

Because they have devoured Jacob and laid waste to his homeland.

Do not hold against us the failures of those who came before us. Let your compassion come quickly to meet us, because we are completely broken.

Help us, God our rescuer, for the honor of your name. Pull us out of this and cover our failures for your name's sake.

Why should the nations say, "Where is their God?" Let us see the nations answer for the blood of your servants that was spilled.

Let the groaning of the prisoners reach you. With the greatness of your power, preserve those condemned to die.

Pay back our neighbors seven times over, right into their own laps, for the contempt they hurled at you, my Master.

Then we, your people, the flock you shepherd, will thank you forever. From one generation to the next, we will retell your fame.