Please save us and forgive our sins
This is a Psalm of Asaph.
1O God, other nations have come
into the place that belongs to You.
They have made the holy temple impure.
They have destroyed Jerusalem
and only heaps of stones are left.
2They have given the dead bodies
of your servants to the birds.
They have given the bodies of people
who believed in You
to wild animals to eat.
3They have poured out the blood
of your servants like water
all over Jerusalem and
there was no one to bury them.
4Our neighbours are laughing at us,
and the people around us are mocking us.
5Lord, how long will You
be angry with us?
Do You want to punish us
and let us burn forever?
6Please stop punishing us
and punish the other nations.
Be angry with them,
and punish the people in the lands
where they don't worship You.
7Because they have killed
the people of Jacob,
and they have destroyed the homes
of the Israelites.
8Please don't punish us for sins
that our forefathers did
or that we did long ago.
Please be good to us soon,
because we are suffering a lot.
9O God, You are our Saviour.
Please help us so that everyone
will know that You are God
and praise your name.
Please save us and forgive our sins
so that everyone will honour You.
10The other nations ask us:
‘Where is your God?’
Please punish them.
We want to see how the other nations feel
when You punish them because
they have killed your servants
and made their blood flow.
11Please listen to the prayers
and moans of the prisoners
who are going to die,
and please save their lives with your great power.
12Lord, please punish
the lands that are our neighbours 7 times more
because they have laughed
and said bad things to us.
13Then we, your people,
your sheep, will praise You,
and we will tell each generation
to praise You forever.
