Psalms 74
1 A psalm (maskil) of Asaph. God, why have you rejected us? Is it forever? Why does your anger burn so hot against the sheep of your own field?
Maschil of Asaph. O God, why hast thou cast [us] off for ever? [why] doth thy anger smoke against the sheep of thy pasture?
2 Remember the people you made your own long ago, the tribe you redeemed and made your own. Remember too Mount Zion, the place where you live.
Remember thy congregation, [which] thou hast purchased of old: the rod of thy inheritance, [which] thou hast redeemed; this mount Zion, in which thou hast dwelt.
3 Come and walk through the complete devastation. The enemy has totally destroyed your Temple.
Lift up thy feet to the perpetual desolations; [even] all [that] the enemy hath done wickedly in the sanctuary.
4 The enemy shouted in triumph right where you met with us. There they set up their war banners as signs of their victory.
Thy enemies roar in the midst of thy congregations; they set up their ensigns [for] signs.
5 They acted like men chopping down a forest with axes.
[A man] was famous according as he had lifted up axes upon the thick trees.
6 With axes and hammers they smashed in the carved wooden panels.
But now they break down the carved work of it at once with axes and hammers.
7 Then they set fire to your Temple, burning it to the ground. They defiled the place where you live, the place that bears your name.
They have cast fire into thy sanctuary, they have defiled [by casting down] the dwelling-place of thy name to the ground.
8 They said to themselves, “Let's destroy it all!” So they burned down every place where God was worshiped throughout the land.
They said in their hearts, Let us destroy them together: they have burned up all the synagogues of God in the land.
9 We no longer see any signs. There are no prophets left. And no one among us knows how long this will last.
We see not our signs: [there is] no more any prophet: neither [is there] among us any that knoweth how long.
10 How long will the enemy ridicule you, God? Will they insult your character forever?
O God, how long shall the adversary reproach? shall the enemy blaspheme thy name for ever?
11 Why do you hold back from doing something? Take action and destroy them!
Why withdrawest thou thy hand, even thy right hand? pluck [it] out of thy bosom.
12 But you, God, are our king from long ago. You have saved us many times in the land.
For God [is] my King of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth.
13 You were the one who split apart the sea by your strength; you broke the heads of the sea monsters.
Thou didst divide the sea by thy strength: thou didst break the heads of the dragons in the waters.
14 You were the one who crushed the heads of Leviathan, and you gave its body to the desert animals to eat.
Thou didst break the head of leviathan in pieces, [and] didst give him [to be] food to the people inhabiting the wilderness.
15 You were the one who made springs and rivers flow with water. You made permanent rivers dry up.
Thou didst cleave the fountain and the flood: thou didst dry up mighty rivers.
16 You created the day, and also the night; you made the moon and the sun.
The day [is] thine, the night also [is] thine: thou hast prepared the light and the sun.
17 You set the boundaries of the earth; you made summer and winter.
Thou hast set all the borders of the earth: thou hast made summer and winter.
18 So keep in mind how the enemy ridiculed you, Lord, and how irreverent people insulted your reputation.
Remember this, the enemy hath reproached, O LORD, and the foolish people have blasphemed thy name.
19 Don't let wild animals kill your turtledoves! Don't abandon your people forever!
O deliver not the soul of thy turtle dove to the multitude [of the wicked]: forget not the congregation of thy poor for ever.
20 Remember your promises in the agreement, because the land is full of dark places and violence.
Have respect to the covenant: for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty.
21 Don't let those who suffer be mistreated again. Let the poor and needy praise you for you who are.
O let not the oppressed return ashamed: let the poor and needy praise thy name.
22 Stand up, God, and plead your case. Don't forget how these foolish people insulted you all the time.
Arise, O God, plead thy own cause: remember how the foolish man reproacheth thee daily.
23 Don't ignore what your enemies have said, for their loud accusations against you are getting worse and worse!
Forget not the voice of thy enemies: the tumult of those that rise against thee increaseth continually.
