Psalms 74
1 O God, why have thou cast off forever? Why does thine anger smoke against the sheep of thy pasture?
A maschil of Asaph. God, why have you rejected us forever? Why does your anger burn against the sheep of your 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.
Call to mind your people, whom you purchased in ancient times, the tribe whom you have redeemed to be your own heritage, and Mount Zion, where you live.
3 Lift up thy feet to the perpetual ruins, all the evil that the enemy has done in the sanctuary.
Come look at the complete ruins, all the damage that the enemy has done in the holy place.
4 Thine adversaries have roared in the midst of thine assembly. They have set up their ensigns for signs.
Your adversaries roared in the middle of your appointed place; they set up their battle flags.
5 They seemed as men who lifted up axes upon a thicket of trees.
They hacked away with axes as in a thick forest.
6 And now they break down all the carved work of it with hatchet and hammers.
They smashed and broke down all the engravings; they broke them with axes and hammers.
7 They have set thy sanctuary on fire. They have profaned the dwelling-place of thy name to the ground.
They set your sanctuary on fire; they desecrated where you live, knocking it to the ground.
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 said in their hearts, “We will destroy them all.” They burned up all of your meeting places 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.
We do not see any more signs; there is no prophet any more, and no one among us knows how long this will last.
10 How long, O God, shall the adversary reproach? Shall the enemy blaspheme thy name forever?
How long, God, will the enemy throw insults at you? Will the enemy blaspheme your name forever?
11 Why do thou draw back thy hand, even thy right hand? Remove it from the midst of thy bosom.
Why do you hold back your hand, your right hand? Take your right hand from your garment and destroy them.
12 Yet God is my King of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth.
Yet God has been my king from ancient times, bringing salvation on the earth.
13 Thou divided the sea by thy strength. Thou break the heads of the sea-monsters in the waters.
You divided the sea by your strength; you smashed the heads of the sea monsters in the waters.
14 Thou break the heads of leviathan in pieces. Thou gave him to be food to the people inhabiting the wilderness.
You crushed the heads of leviathan; you fed him to those living in the wilderness.
15 Thou split fountain and flood. Thou dried up mighty rivers.
You broke open springs and streams; you dried up flowing rivers.
16 The day is thine; the night is also thine. Thou have prepared the light and the sun.
The day is yours, and the night is yours also; you set the sun and moon in place.
17 Thou have set all the borders of the earth. Thou have made summer and winter.
You have set all the borders of the earth; you have made summer and winter.
18 Remember this, that the enemy has reproached, O Jehovah, and that a foolish people has blasphemed thy name.
Call to mind how the enemy hurled insults at you, Yahweh, and that a foolish people has blasphemed your name.
19 O deliver not the soul of thy turtle-dove to the wild beast. Forget not the life of thy poor forever.
Do not give the life of your dove to a wild animal. Do not forget forever the life of your oppressed people.
20 Have respect to the covenant, for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of violence.
Remember your covenant, for the dark regions of the land are full of places of violence.
21 O let not he who is oppressed return ashamed. Let a poor and needy man praise thy name.
Do not let the oppressed be turned back in shame; let the poor and oppressed praise your name.
22 Arise, O God, plead thine own cause. Remember how the foolish man reproaches thee all the day.
Arise, God; defend your own honor; call to mind how fools insult you all day long.
23 Forget not the voice of thine adversaries. The tumult of those who rise up against thee ascends continually.
Do not forget the voice of your adversaries or the uproar of those who continually defy you.
