Psalms 74
1 A Psalme to give instruction, committed to Asaph. O God, why hast thou put vs away for euer? why is thy wrath kindled against the sheepe of thy pasture?
A Maskil of Asaph. Why have You rejected us forever, O God? Why does Your anger smolder against the sheep of Your pasture?
2 Thinke vpon thy Congregation, which thou hast possessed of olde, and on the rod of thine inheritance, which thou hast redeemed, and on this mount Zion, wherein thou hast dwelt.
Remember Your congregation, which You purchased long ago and redeemed as the tribe of Your inheritance— Mount Zion where You dwell.
3 Lift vp thy strokes, that thou mayest for euer destroy euery enemie that doeth euill to the Sanctuarie.
Turn Your steps to the everlasting ruins, to everything in the sanctuary the enemy has destroyed.
4 Thine aduersaries roare in the middes of thy Congregation, and set vp their banners for signes.
Your foes have roared within Your meeting place; they have unfurled their banners as signs,
5 He that lifted the axes vpon the thicke trees, was renowmed, as one, that brought a thing to perfection:
like men wielding axes in a thicket of trees
6 But nowe they breake downe the carued worke thereof with axes and hammers.
and smashing all the carvings with hatchets and picks.
7 They haue cast thy Sanctuarie into the fire, and rased it to the grounde, and haue defiled the dwelling place of thy Name.
They have burned Your sanctuary to the ground; they have defiled the dwelling place of Your Name.
8 They saide in their hearts, Let vs destroy them altogether: they haue burnt all the Synagogues of God 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 see not our signes: there is not one Prophet more, nor any with vs that knoweth howe 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, howe long shall the aduersarie reproche thee? shall the enemie blaspheme thy Name for euer?
How long, O God, will the enemy taunt You? Will the foe revile Your name forever?
11 Why withdrawest thou thine hand, euen thy right hand? drawe it out of thy bosome, and consume them.
Why do You withdraw Your strong right hand? Stretch it out to destroy them!
12 Euen God is my King of olde, working saluation in the middes of the earth.
Yet God is my King from ancient times, working salvation on the earth.
13 Thou didest deuide the sea by thy power: thou brakest the heads of the dragons in the waters.
You divided the sea by Your strength; You smashed the heads of the dragons of the sea;
14 Thou brakest the head of Liuiathan in pieces, and gauest him to be meate for the people in wildernesse.
You crushed the heads of Leviathan; You fed him to the creatures of the desert.
15 Thou brakest vp the fountaine and riuer: thou dryedst vp mightie riuers.
You broke open the fountain and the flood; You dried up the ever-flowing rivers.
16 The day is thine, and the night is thine: thou hast prepared the light and the sunne.
The day is Yours, and also the night; You established the moon and the sun.
17 Thou hast set all the borders of the earth: thou hast made summer and winter.
You set all the boundaries of the earth; You made the summer and winter.
18 Remember this, that the enemie hath reproched the Lord, and the foolish people hath blasphemed thy Name.
Remember how the enemy has mocked You, O LORD, how a foolish people has spurned Your name.
19 Giue not the soule of thy turtle doue vnto the beast, and forget not the Congregation of thy poore for euer.
Do not deliver the soul of Your dove to beasts; do not forget the lives of Your afflicted forever.
20 Consider thy couenant: for the darke places of the earth are full of the habitations of the cruell.
Consider Your covenant, for haunts of violence fill the dark places of the land.
21 Oh let not the oppressed returne ashamed, but let the poore and needie prayse thy Name.
Do not let the oppressed retreat in shame; may the poor and needy praise Your name.
22 Arise, O God: mainteine thine owne cause: remember thy dayly reproche by the foolish man.
Rise up, O God; defend Your cause! Remember how the fool mocks You all day long.
23 Forget not the voyce of thine enemies: for the tumult of them, that rise against thee, ascendeth continually.
Do not disregard the clamor of Your adversaries, the uproar of Your enemies that ascends continually.
