Psalms 79:11

Listen to the painful cries of the prisoners! ¹  Use your great strength to set free those condemned to die! ² 

May the groans of the prisoners come before you; by the strength of your arm preserve those condemned to die.

Let the groaning of the prisoner come before You; According to the greatness of Your power preserve those who are doomed to die.

Listen to the moaning of the prisoners. Demonstrate your great power by saving those condemned to die.

Give groaning prisoners a hearing; pardon those on death row from their doom--you can do it!

Let the cry of the prisoner come before you; with your strong arm make free the children of death;

Let the groans of the prisoners come before you; according to your great power preserve those doomed to die.

Let the groaning of the prisoner come before You; According to the greatness of Your power Preserve those who are appointed to die;

Listen to the painful cries of the prisoners! ¹  Use your great strength to set free those condemned to die! ² 

¹ tn Heb “may the painful cry of the prisoner come before you.”

² tn Heb “according to the greatness of your arm leave the sons of death.” God’s “arm” here symbolizes his strength to deliver. The verbal form הוֹתֵר (hoter) is a Hiphil imperative from יָתַר (yatar, “to remain; to be left over”). Here it must mean “to leave over; to preserve.” However, it is preferable to emend the form to הַתֵּר (hatter), a Hiphil imperative from נָתַר (natar, “be free”). The Hiphil form is used in Ps 105:20 of Pharaoh freeing Joseph from prison. The phrase “sons of death” (see also Ps 102:21) is idiomatic for those condemned to die.