1 A Psalm. Of Asaph. O God, the nations have come into your heritage; they have made your holy Temple unclean; they have made Jerusalem a mass of broken walls. 2 They have given the bodies of your servants as food to the birds of the air, and the flesh of your saints to the beasts of the earth. 3 Their blood has been flowing like water round about Jerusalem; there was no one to put them in their last resting-place. 4 We are looked down on by our neighbours, we are laughed at and made sport of by those who are round us. 5 How long, O Lord? will you be angry for ever? will your wrath go on burning like fire? 6 Let your wrath be on the nations who have no knowledge of you, and on the kingdoms who have not made prayer to your name. 7 For they have taken Jacob for their meat, and made waste his house. 8 Do not keep in mind against us the sins of our fathers; let your mercy come to us quickly, for we have been made very low. 9 Give us help, O God of our salvation, for the glory of your name; take us out of danger and give us forgiveness for our sins, because of your name. 10 Why may the nations say, Where is their God? Let payment for the blood of your servants be made openly among the nations before our eyes. 11 Let the cry of the prisoner come before you; with your strong arm make free the children of death; 12 And give punishment seven times over into the breast of our neighbours for the bitter words which they have said against you, O Lord. 13 So we your people, and the sheep of your flock, will give you glory for ever: we will go on praising you through all generations.
Psalms · Bible in Basic English
Psalm 79 Bible in Basic English
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (1)
- Greek and Latin Bibles number most Psalms one lower than Hebrew and English Bibles.
Cross references (13)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Lamentations 1:10; 2 Chronicles 36:19; Micah 3:12; Psalm 74:1–4; Psalm 74:7–8
- 2 Jeremiah 7:33; Jeremiah 34:20; Jeremiah 16:4; Jeremiah 19:7; Deuteronomy 28:26
- 3 Jeremiah 16:4; Jeremiah 14:16; Revelation 11:9; Romans 8:36; Jeremiah 25:33
- 4 Psalm 80:6; Ezekiel 36:15; Psalm 89:41; Lamentations 5:1; Psalm 44:13–14
- 5 Psalm 89:46; Psalm 74:1; Psalm 85:5; Deuteronomy 29:20; Zephaniah 3:8
- 6 Jeremiah 10:25; 2 Thessalonians 1:8; Psalm 14:4; Psalm 69:24; Psalm 53:4
- 7 Jeremiah 51:34–35; Zechariah 1:15; Isaiah 64:10–11; Isaiah 24:1–12; Jeremiah 50:7
- 8 Isaiah 64:9; Psalm 142:6; Psalm 116:6; Revelation 18:5; Psalm 21:3
- 9 Jeremiah 14:7; Psalm 25:11; 2 Chronicles 14:11; Jeremiah 14:21; Isaiah 48:9
- 10 Psalm 42:10; Exodus 6:7; Psalm 115:2; Ezekiel 39:21–22; Exodus 7:5
- 11 Psalm 102:20; Isaiah 42:7; Isaiah 33:2; Psalm 146:6–7; Exodus 2:23–24
- 12 Jeremiah 32:18; Genesis 4:15; Leviticus 26:21; Proverbs 6:31; Leviticus 26:28
- 13 Psalm 95:7; Isaiah 43:21; Psalm 100:3; Psalm 74:1; Psalm 145:4
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
This Psalm doth contain the things which are said to have been done among the old people: but the new and latter people is being admonished, to beware that it be not ungrateful regarding the blessings of God, and provoke His anger against it, whereas it ought to receive His grace....The Title thereof doth first move and engage our attention.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 8 (1888)
Wilt Thou be angry for ever? Oh, remember not against us former iniquities;" for I felt that I was enthralled by them.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)
For they who did not spare children, who slew prophets, and "shed blood as water," much more would they have showed no mercy to women.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)