Psalms 74
1 Maschil. Of Asaph. Of God, why have you put us away from you for ever? why is the fire of your wrath smoking against the sheep who are your care?
A Maskil of Asaph. Why have You rejected us forever, O God? Why does Your anger smolder against the sheep of Your pasture?
2 Keep in mind your band of worshippers, for whom you gave payment in the days which are past, whom you took for yourself as the people of your heritage; even this mountain of Zion, which has been your resting-place.
Remember Your congregation, which You purchased long ago and redeemed as the tribe of Your inheritance— Mount Zion where You dwell.
3 Go up and see the unending destruction; all the evil which your haters have done in the holy place;
Turn Your steps to the everlasting ruins, to everything in the sanctuary the enemy has destroyed.
4 Sending out their voices like lions among your worshippers; they have put up their signs to be seen.
Your foes have roared within Your meeting place; they have unfurled their banners as signs,
5 They are cutting down, like a man whose blade is lifted up against the thick trees.
like men wielding axes in a thicket of trees
6 Your doors are broken down with hammers and iron blades.
and smashing all the carvings with hatchets and picks.
7 They have put on fire your holy place; they have made the place of your name unclean, pulling it down to the earth.
They have burned Your sanctuary to the ground; they have defiled the dwelling place of Your Name.
8 They have said in their hearts, Let us put an end to them all together; they have given over to the fire all God's places of worship in the land.
They said in their hearts, “We will crush them completely.” They burned down every place where God met us in the land.
9 We do not see our signs: there is no longer any prophet, or anyone among us to say how long.
There are no signs for us to see. There is no longer any prophet. And none of us knows how long this will last.
10 O God, how long will those who are against us say cruel things? will the hater go on looking down on your name for ever?
How long, O God, will the enemy taunt You? Will the foe revile Your name forever?
11 Why are you keeping back your hand, and covering your right hand in your robe?
Why do You withdraw Your strong right hand? Stretch it out to destroy them!
12 For from the past God is my King, working salvation in the earth.
Yet God is my King from ancient times, working salvation on the earth.
13 The sea was parted in two by your strength; the heads of the great sea-beasts were broken.
You divided the sea by Your strength; You smashed the heads of the dragons of the sea;
14 The heads of the great snake were crushed by you; you gave them as food to the fishes of the sea.
You crushed the heads of Leviathan; You fed him to the creatures of the desert.
15 You made valleys for fountains and springs; you made the ever-flowing rivers dry.
You broke open the fountain and the flood; You dried up the ever-flowing rivers.
16 The day is yours and the night is yours: you made the light and the sun.
The day is Yours, and also the night; You established the moon and the sun.
17 By you all the limits of the earth were fixed; you have made summer and winter.
You set all the boundaries of the earth; You made the summer and winter.
18 Keep this in mind, O Lord, that your haters have said cruel things, and that your name has been looked down on by a people of evil behaviour.
Remember how the enemy has mocked You, O LORD, how a foolish people has spurned Your name.
19 O give not the soul of your dove to the hawk; let not the life of the poor go out of your memory for ever.
Do not deliver the soul of Your dove to beasts; do not forget the lives of Your afflicted forever.
20 Keep in mind your undertaking; for the dark places of the earth are full of pride and cruel acts.
Consider Your covenant, for haunts of violence fill the dark places of the land.
21 O let not the crushed be turned back in shame; let the low man and the poor give praise to your name.
Do not let the oppressed retreat in shame; may the poor and needy praise Your name.
22 Up! O God, be the judge of your cause; keep in mind the bitter things which the man of evil behaviour says against you every day.
Rise up, O God; defend Your cause! Remember how the fool mocks You all day long.
23 Keep in mind the voice of your haters; the outcry of those who come against you goes up every day.
Do not disregard the clamor of Your adversaries, the uproar of Your enemies that ascends continually.
