Psalms 74
1 Understanding for Asaph. O God, why hast thou cast us off unto the end: why is thy wrath enkindled against the sheep of thy pasture?
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?
2 Remember thy congregation, which thou hast possessed from the beginning. The sceptre of thy inheritance which thou hast redeemed: mount Sion in which thou hast dwelt.
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.
3 Lift up thy hands against their pride unto the end; see what things the enemy hath done wickedly in the sanctuary.
Go up and see the unending destruction; all the evil which your haters have done in the holy place;
4 And they that hate thee have made their boasts, in the midst of thy solemnity. They have set up their ensigns for signs,
Sending out their voices like lions among your worshippers; they have put up their signs to be seen.
5 And they knew not both in the going out and on the highest top. As with axes in a wood of trees,
They are cutting down, like a man whose blade is lifted up against the thick trees.
6 They have cut down at once the gates thereof, with axe and hatchet they have brought it down.
Your doors are broken down with hammers and iron blades.
7 They have set fire to thy sanctuary: they have defiled the dwelling place of thy name on the earth.
They have put on fire your holy place; they have made the place of your name unclean, pulling it down to the earth.
8 They said in their heart, the whole kindred of them together: Let us abolish all the festival days of God from the land.
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.
9 Our signs we have not seen, there is now no prophet: and he will know us no more.
We do not see our signs: there is no longer any prophet, or anyone among us to say how long.
10 How long, O God, shall the enemy reproach: is the adversary to provoke thy name for ever?
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?
11 Why dost thou turn away thy hand: and thy right hand out of the midst of thy bosom for ever?
Why are you keeping back your hand, and covering your right hand in your robe?
12 But God is our king before ages: he hath wrought salvation in the midst of the earth.
For from the past God is my King, working salvation in the earth.
13 Thou by thy strength didst make the sea firm: thou didst crush the heads of the dragons in the waters.
The sea was parted in two by your strength; the heads of the great sea-beasts were broken.
14 Thou hast broken the heads of the dragon: thou hast given him to be meat for the people of the Ethiopians.
The heads of the great snake were crushed by you; you gave them as food to the fishes of the sea.
15 Thou hast broken up the fountains and the torrents: thou hast dried up the Ethan rivers.
You made valleys for fountains and springs; you made the ever-flowing rivers dry.
16 Thine is the day, and thine is the night: thou hast made the morning light and the sun.
The day is yours and the night is yours: you made the light and the sun.
17 Thou hast made all the borders of the earth: the summer and the spring were formed by thee.
By you all the limits of the earth were fixed; you have made summer and winter.
18 Remember this, the enemy hath reproached the Lord: and a foolish people hath provoked thy name.
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.
19 Deliver not up to beasts the souls that confess to thee: and forget not to the end the souls of thy poor.
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.
20 Have regard to thy covenant: for they that are the obscure of the earth have been filled with dwellings of iniquity.
Keep in mind your undertaking; for the dark places of the earth are full of pride and cruel acts.
21 Let not the humble be turned away with confusion: the poor and needy shall praise thy name.
O let not the crushed be turned back in shame; let the low man and the poor give praise to your name.
22 Arise, O God, judge thy own cause: remember thy reproaches with which the foolish man hath reproached thee all the day.
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.
23 Forget not the voices of thy enemies: the pride of them that hate thee ascendeth continually.
Keep in mind the voice of your haters; the outcry of those who come against you goes up every day.
