Psalms 74
1 O God, why have thou cast off forever? Why does thine anger smoke against the sheep of thy pasture?
“A Maskil of Assaph.” Why, O God, hast thou cast us off for ever? why will thy anger smoke against the flock of thy pasture?
2 Remember thy congregation, which thou have gotten of old, which thou have redeemed to be the tribe of thine inheritance, and mount Zion, at which thou have dwelt.
Remember thy congregation, which thou didst acquire of old; which thou didst redeem as the tribe of thy inheritance: this mount Zion, whereon thou hast dwelt.
3 Lift up thy feet to the perpetual ruins, all the evil that the enemy has done in the sanctuary.
Lift up thy steps unto the perpetual heaps of ruins: the enemy hath ill-used every thing in the sanctuary.
4 Thine adversaries have roared in the midst of thine assembly. They have set up their ensigns for signs.
Thy adversaries have roared in the midst of thy places of assembly: they have set up their signs for signs.
5 They seemed as men who lifted up axes upon a thicket of trees.
[The enemy] is known as one that lifteth up high axes against the thickets of a forest.
6 And now they break down all the carved work of it with hatchet and hammers.
And now they hew in pieces the carved work thereof altogether with hatchets and hammers.
7 They have set thy sanctuary on fire. They have profaned the dwelling-place of thy name to the ground.
They have set on fire thy sanctuary; to the ground have they profaned the dwelling-place of thy name.
8 They said in their heart, Let us make havoc of them altogether. They have burned up all the meeting-places of God in the land.
They have said in their heart, We will oppress them altogether: they have burnt up all the places of assembly of God in the land.
9 We do not see our signs. There is no more any prophet, nor is there among us he who knows how long.
Our signs do we not see: there is no more any prophet: and there is no one among us that knoweth how long.
10 How long, O God, shall the adversary reproach? Shall the enemy blaspheme thy name forever?
How long, O God, shall the adversary utter defiance? shall the enemy blaspheme thy name for ever?
11 Why do thou draw back thy hand, even thy right hand? Remove it from the midst of thy bosom.
Why withdrawest thou thy hand, and thy right hand? [draw it] out of thy bosom—exterminate [them];
12 Yet God is my King of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth.
Since [thou] God art my King from olden days, working salvation in the midst of the earth.
13 Thou divided the sea by thy strength. Thou break the heads of the sea-monsters in the waters.
It was thou that didst divide by thy strength the sea: thou brokest in pieces the heads of the crocodiles on the waters.
14 Thou break the heads of leviathan in pieces. Thou gave him to be food to the people inhabiting the wilderness.
Thou didst crush the heads of leviathan, and gavest them as food to the people inhabiting the wilderness.
15 Thou split fountain and flood. Thou dried up mighty rivers.
Thou didst cleave fountain and stream: thou didst dry up ever-flowing rivers.
16 The day is thine; the night is also thine. Thou have prepared the light and the sun.
Thine is the day and thine is the night: it is thou who hast prepared the luminary and the sun.
17 Thou have set all the borders of the earth. Thou have made summer and winter.
It is thou who hast set up all the boundaries of the earth: summer and winter—thou thyself hast formed them.
18 Remember this, that the enemy has reproached, O Jehovah, and that a foolish people has blasphemed thy name.
Remember this, that the enemy hath defied the Lord, and that a worthless foolish people have blasphemed thy name.
19 O deliver not the soul of thy turtle-dove to the wild beast. Forget not the life of thy poor forever.
Oh give not up unto the multitude of enemies the soul of thy turtle-dove: the congregation of thy afflicted do not thou forget for ever.
20 Have respect to the covenant, for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of violence.
Look unto the covenant; for the dark places of the earth are full of habitations of violence.
21 O let not he who is oppressed return ashamed. Let a poor and needy man praise thy name.
Oh let not the oppressed return confounded: let the poor and needy praise thy name.
22 Arise, O God, plead thine own cause. Remember how the foolish man reproaches thee all the day.
Arise, O God, plead thy own cause: remember thy defiance from the worthless fool all the day.
23 Forget not the voice of thine adversaries. The tumult of those who rise up against thee ascends continually.
Forget not the voice of thy adversaries: the tumult of those that rise up against thee ascendeth continually.
