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 psalm of Asaph.” O God! why hast thou cast us off for ever? Why doth thine 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 the people which thou didst purchase of old; Thine own inheritance, which thou didst redeem; That Mount Zion, where thou once didst dwell!
3 Lift up thy steps unto the perpetual desolations: everything in the sanctuary hath the enemy destroyed.
Hasten thy steps to those utter desolations! Every thing in the sanctuary hath the enemy abused!
4 Thine adversaries roar in the midst of thy place of assembly; they set up their signs [for] signs.
Thine enemies roar in the place of thine assemblies; Their own symbols have they set up for signs.
5 [A man] was known as he could lift up axes in the thicket of trees;
They appear like those who raise the axe against a thicket;
6 And now they break down its carved work altogether, with hatchets and hammers.
They have broken down the carved work of thy temple with axes and hammers;
7 They have set on fire thy sanctuary, they have profaned the habitation of thy name to the ground.
They have cast fire into thy sanctuary; They have profaned, and cast to the ground, 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 said in their hearts, “Let us destroy them all together!” They have burned all God's places of assembly 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.
We no longer see our signs; There is no prophet among us, Nor any one that knoweth how long this desolation shall endure.
10 How long, O God, shall the adversary reproach? Shall the enemy contemn thy name for ever?
How long, O God! shall the adversary revile? 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, even thy right hand? Take it from thy bosom, and destroy!
12 But God is my king of old, accomplishing deliverances in the midst of the earth.
Yet God was our king of old, 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:
Thou didst divide the sea by thy power; Thou didst crush the heads of the sea-monsters in 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 break in pieces the head of the crocodile; Thou gavest him for food to the inhabitants of the desert.
15 Thou didst cleave fountain and torrent, thou driedst up ever-flowing rivers.
Thou didst cleave forth the fountain and the stream; Thou didst dry up perennial 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 the night; Thou didst prepare the light and the sun.
17 Thou hast set all the borders of the earth; summer and winter — thou didst form them.
Thou didst establish all the boundaries of the earth; Thou didst make summer and winter.
18 Remember this, that an enemy hath reproached Jehovah, and a foolish people have contemned thy name.
O remember that the enemy hath reviled Jehovah; That an impious people hath 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.
Give not up the life of thy turtle-dove to the wild beast; Forget not for ever thine afflicted people!
20 Have respect unto the covenant; for the dark places of the earth are full of the dwellings of violence.
Have regard to thy covenant! For all the dark places of the land are full of the abodes of cruelty.
21 Oh let not the oppressed one return ashamed; let the afflicted and needy praise thy name.
O let not the afflicted go away ashamed! 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! maintain thy cause! Remember how the impious revileth thee daily!
23 Forget not the voice of thine adversaries: the tumult of those that rise up against thee ascendeth continually.
Forget not the clamor of thine adversaries, —The noise of thine enemies, which continually increaseth!
