Psalms 74
1 An instruction: of Asaph. Why, O God, hast thou cast off for ever? [why] doth 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 thine assembly, which thou hast purchased of old, which thou hast redeemed [to be] the portion of thine inheritance, this mount Zion, wherein thou hast 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 steps unto the perpetual desolations: everything in the sanctuary hath the enemy destroyed.
Lift up thy steps unto the perpetual heaps of ruins: the enemy hath ill-used every thing in the sanctuary.
4 Thine adversaries roar in the midst of thy place of assembly; they set up their signs [for] signs.
Thy adversaries have roared in the midst of thy places of assembly: they have set up their signs for signs.
5 [A man] was known as he could lift up axes in the 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 its carved work altogether, with hatchets and hammers.
And now they hew in pieces the carved work thereof altogether with hatchets and hammers.
7 They have set on fire thy sanctuary, they have profaned the habitation 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 destroy them together: they have burned up all God's places of assembly 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 see not our signs; there is no more any prophet, neither is there among us any that knoweth 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 contemn thy name for ever?
How long, O God, shall the adversary utter defiance? shall the enemy blaspheme thy name for ever?
11 Why withdrawest thou thy hand, and thy right hand? [pluck it] out of thy bosom: consume [them].
Why withdrawest thou thy hand, and thy right hand? [draw it] out of thy bosom—exterminate [them];
12 But God is my king of old, accomplishing deliverances 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 didst divide the sea by thy strength; thou didst break the heads of the monsters on 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 didst break in pieces the heads of leviathan, thou gavest him to be meat to those that people the desert.
Thou didst crush the heads of leviathan, and gavest them as food to the people inhabiting the wilderness.
15 Thou didst cleave fountain and torrent, thou driedst up ever-flowing rivers.
Thou didst cleave fountain and stream: thou didst dry up ever-flowing rivers.
16 The day is thine, the night also is thine; thou hast prepared the moon 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 hast set all the borders of the earth; summer and winter — thou didst form them.
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 an enemy hath reproached Jehovah, and a foolish people have contemned thy name.
Remember this, that the enemy hath defied the Lord, and that a worthless foolish people have blasphemed thy name.
19 Give not up the soul of thy turtle-dove unto the wild beast; forget not the troop of thine afflicted for ever.
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 unto the covenant; for the dark places of the earth are full of the dwellings of violence.
Look unto the covenant; for the dark places of the earth are full of habitations of violence.
21 Oh let not the oppressed one return ashamed; let the afflicted and needy praise thy name.
Oh let not the oppressed return confounded: let the poor and needy praise thy name.
22 Rise up, O God, plead thine own cause: remember how the foolish man reproacheth 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 that rise up against thee ascendeth continually.
Forget not the voice of thy adversaries: the tumult of those that rise up against thee ascendeth continually.
