מִזְמוֹר לְאָסָף אֱלֹהִים בָּאוּ גוֹיִם בְּנַחֲלָתֶךָ טִמְּאוּ אֶת־הֵיכַל קָדְשֶׁךָ שָׂמוּ אֶת־יְרוּשָׁלִַם לְעִיִּים׃   79:1

Psal. 79:1   A psalm of Asaph's:

                     O God, nations have come into Your inheritance,

                             defiled the Temple of Your holiness,

                      laid Jerusalem in ruins.

From this verse we know this psalm is another that was composed at a later time, probably near the beginning of

the Babylonian captivity.

נָתְנוּ אֶת־נִבְלַת עֲבָדֶיךָ מַאֲכָל לְעוֹף הַשָּׁמָיִם בְּשַׂר חֲסִידֶיךָ לְחַיְתוֹ־אָרֶץ׃   79:2

Psal. 79:2   They have made the corpses of Your servants food for the fowl of the skies,

                              the flesh of Your faithful ones for the beasts of the earth.

שָׁפְכוּ דָמָם כַּמַּיִם סְבִיבוֹת יְרוּשָׁלִָם וְאֵין קוֹבֵר׃   79:3

Psal. 79:3   They have shed their blood like water

                              on every side of Jerusalem that no one is burying.

הָיִינוּ חֶרְפָּה לִשְׁכֵנֵינוּ לַעַג וָקֶלֶס לִסְבִיבוֹתֵינוּ׃   79:4

Psal. 79:4   We have become a taunt for our neighbors,

                              a derision and a ridicule for those surrounding us.

עַד־מָה יְהוָה תֶּאֱנַף לָנֶצַח תִּבְעַר כְּמוֹ־אֵשׁ קִנְאָתֶךָ׃   79:5

Psal. 79:5   O Lord!  Until when will You be “angry?”

                             Will Your “possessiveness” burn like a fire forever?

שְׁפֹךְ חֲמָתְךָ אֶל־הַגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר לֹא־יְדָעוּךָ וְעַל מַמְלָכוֹת אֲשֶׁר בְּשִׁמְךָ לֹא קָרָאוּ׃   79:6

Psal. 79:6   Pour out Your fury against the nations that do not know You

                              and upon the kingdoms that do not call on Your name.

כִּי אָכַל אֶת־יַעֲקֹב וְאֶת־נָוֵהוּ הֵשַׁמּוּ׃   79:7

Psal. 79:7   For it consumes Jacob,

                              as they have devastated his habitations.

אַל־תִּזְכָּר־לָנוּ עֲוֺנֹת רִאשֹׁנִים מַהֵר יְקַדְּמוּנוּ רַחֲמֶיךָ כִּי דַלּוֹנוּ מְאֹד׃   79:8

Psal. 79:8   For our sake, do not remember the former iniquities;

                              let Your compassions come quickly to meet us,

                      for we are very low.

עָזְרֵנוּ אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׁעֵנוּ עַל־דְּבַר כְּבוֹד־שְׁמֶךָ וְהַצִּילֵנוּ וְכַפֵּר עַל־חַטֹּאתֵינוּ לְמַעַן שְׁמֶךָ׃   79:9

Psal. 79:9   Help us, O God of our salvation, for the sake of the glory of Your name,

                              and deliver us and make atonement for our sins because of Your name.

לָמָּה יֹאמְרוּ הַגֹּויִם אַיֵּה אֱלֹהֵיהֶם יִוָּדַע (בַּגִּיִּים) [בַּגֹּויִם] לְעֵינֵינוּ נִקְמַת דַּם־עֲבָדֶיךָ הַשָּׁפוּךְ׃   79:10

Psal. 79:10   Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?”

                               Let the avenging of the shedding of the blood of Your servants

                        be known among the nations for our eyes.

This verse has a word misspelled, in the parentheses.  The first yad is replaced by a vav in the brackets.

תָּבֹוא לְפָנֶיךָ אֶנְקַת אָסִיר כְּגֹדֶל זְרֹועֲךָ הֹותֵר בְּנֵי תְמוּתָה׃   79:11

Psal. 79:11   Let the groaning of the prisoner come before You;

                               according to the greatness of Your power,

                        preserve the children of death.

וְהָשֵׁב לִשְׁכֵנֵינוּ שִׁבְעָתַיִם אֶל־חֵיקָם חֶרְפָּתָם אֲשֶׁר חֵרְפוּךָ אֲדֹנָי׃   79:12

Psal. 79:12   And give back to our neighbors sevenfold in their bosom

                                their reproach by which they reproach You, O Master.

וַאֲנַחְנוּ עַמְּךָ וְצֹאן מַרְעִיתֶךָ נֹודֶה לְּךָ לְעֹולָם לְדֹר וָדֹר נְסַפֵּר תְּהִלָּתֶךָ׃   79:13

Psal. 79:13   Then we, Your people and the flock of Your pasture,

                                can give thanks to You forevermore;

                         to generation after generation we will declare Your praise.

As I see things, we should give thanks to the Lord, our King, at all times, not only when we are saved and can

rejoice.

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