A psalm of Asaph.
79:1 O God, foreigners 2 have invaded your chosen land; 3
they have polluted your holy temple
and turned Jerusalem 4 into a heap of ruins.
79:7 For they have devoured Jacob
and destroyed his home.
79:8 Do not hold us accountable for the sins of earlier generations! 5
Quickly send your compassion our way, 6
for we are in serious trouble! 7
79:9 Help us, O God, our deliverer!
For the sake of your glorious reputation, 8 rescue us!
Forgive our sins for the sake of your reputation! 9
79:10 Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?”
Before our very eyes may the shed blood of your servants
be avenged among the nations! 10
1 sn Psalm 79. The author laments how the invading nations have destroyed the temple and city of Jerusalem. He asks God to forgive his people and to pour out his vengeance on those who have mistreated them.
2 tn Or “nations.”
3 tn Heb “have come into your inheritance.”
4 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
5 tn Heb “do not remember against us sins, former.” Some understand “former” as an attributive adjective modifying sins, “former [i.e., chronologically prior] sins” (see BDB 911 s.v. רִאשׁוֹן). The present translation assumes that ראשׁנים (“former”) here refers to those who lived formerly, that is, the people’s ancestors (see Lam 5:7). The word is used in this way in Lev 26:45; Deut 19:14 and Eccl 1:11.
6 tn Heb “may your compassion quickly confront us.” The prefixed verbal form is understood as a jussive, indicating a tone of prayer.
7 tn Heb “for we are very low.”
8 tn Heb “the glory of your name.” Here and in the following line “name” stands metonymically for God’s reputation.
9 tn Heb “your name.”
10 tn Heb “may it be known among the nations, to our eyes, the vengeance of the shed blood of your servants.”