Psalms 74
1 A Maskil of Asaph. Why have You rejected us forever, O God? Why does Your anger smolder against the sheep of Your pasture?
An Instruction of Asaph. Why, O God, hast Thou cast off for ever? Thine anger smoketh against the flock of Thy pasture.
2 Remember Your congregation, which You purchased long ago and redeemed as the tribe of Your inheritance— Mount Zion where You dwell.
Remember Thy company. Thou didst purchase of old, Thou didst redeem the rod of Thy inheritance, This mount Zion — Thou didst dwell in it.
3 Turn Your steps to the everlasting ruins, to everything in the sanctuary the enemy has destroyed.
Lift up Thy steps to the perpetual desolations, Everything the enemy did wickedly in the sanctuary.
4 Your foes have roared within Your meeting place; they have unfurled their banners as signs,
Roared have thine adversaries, In the midst of Thy meeting-places, They have set their ensigns as ensigns.
5 like men wielding axes in a thicket of trees
He is known as one bringing in on high Against a thicket of wood — axes.
6 and smashing all the carvings with hatchets and picks.
And now, its carvings together With axe and hatchet they break down,
7 They have burned Your sanctuary to the ground; they have defiled the dwelling place of Your Name.
They have sent into fire Thy sanctuary, to the earth they polluted the tabernacle of Thy name,
8 They said in their hearts, “We will crush them completely.” They burned down every place where God met us in the land.
They said in their hearts, 'Let us oppress them together,' They did burn all the meeting-places of God in the land.
9 There are no signs for us to see. There is no longer any prophet. And none of us knows how long this will last.
Our ensigns we have not seen, There is no more a prophet, Nor with us is one knowing how long.
10 How long, O God, will the enemy taunt You? Will the foe revile Your name forever?
Till when, O God, doth an adversary reproach? Doth an enemy despise thy name for ever?
11 Why do You withdraw Your strong right hand? Stretch it out to destroy them!
Why dost Thou turn back Thy hand, Even Thy right hand? From the midst of Thy bosom remove [it].
12 Yet God is my King from ancient times, working salvation on the earth.
And God [is] my king of old, Working salvation in the midst of the earth.
13 You divided the sea by Your strength; You smashed the heads of the dragons of the sea;
Thou hast broken by Thy strength a sea -[monster], Thou hast shivered Heads of dragons by the waters,
14 You crushed the heads of Leviathan; You fed him to the creatures of the desert.
Thou hast broken the heads of leviathan, Thou makest him food, For the people of the dry places.
15 You broke open the fountain and the flood; You dried up the ever-flowing rivers.
Thou hast cleaved a fountain and a stream, Thou hast dried up perennial flowings.
16 The day is Yours, and also the night; You established the moon and the sun.
Thine [is] the day, also Thine [is] the night, Thou hast prepared a light giver — the sun.
17 You set all the boundaries of the earth; You made the summer and winter.
Thou hast set up all the borders of earth, Summer and winter Thou hast formed them.
18 Remember how the enemy has mocked You, O LORD, how a foolish people has spurned Your name.
Remember this — an enemy reproached Jehovah, And a foolish people have despised Thy name.
19 Do not deliver the soul of Your dove to beasts; do not forget the lives of Your afflicted forever.
Give not up to a company, The soul of Thy turtle-dove, The company of Thy poor ones forget not for ever.
20 Consider Your covenant, for haunts of violence fill the dark places of the land.
Look attentively to the covenant, For the dark places of earth, Have been full of habitations of violence.
21 Do not let the oppressed retreat in shame; may the poor and needy praise Your name.
Let not the oppressed turn back ashamed, Let the poor and needy praise Thy name,
22 Rise up, O God; defend Your cause! Remember how the fool mocks You all day long.
Arise, O God, plead Thy plea, Remember Thy reproach from a fool all the day.
23 Do not disregard the clamor of Your adversaries, the uproar of Your enemies that ascends continually.
Forget not the voice of Thine adversaries, The noise of Thy withstanders is going up continually!
