Psalms 74

1 O God, why have you cast us off for ever? why does your anger smoke against the sheep of your pasture?

AN INSTRUCTION OF ASAPH. Why, O God, have You cast off forever? Your anger smokes against the flock of Your pasture.

2 Remember your congregation, which you have purchased of old; the rod of your inheritance, which you have redeemed; this mount Zion, wherein you have dwelled.

Remember Your congregation [That] You purchased of old, You redeemed the rod of Your inheritance, This Mount Zion—You dwelt in it.

3 Lift up your feet to the perpetual desolations; even all that the enemy has done wickedly in the sanctuary.

Lift up Your steps to the continuous desolations, Everything the enemy did wickedly in the sanctuary.

4 Your enemies roar in the middle of your congregations; they set up their ensigns for signs.

Your adversaries have roared, In the midst of Your meeting-places, They have set their ensigns as ensigns.

5 A man was famous according as he had lifted up axes on the thick trees.

He is known as one bringing in on high Against a thicket of wood—axes.

6 But now they break down the carved work thereof at once with axes and hammers.

And now they break down its engravings, Together, with axe and hatchet,

7 They have cast fire into your sanctuary, they have defiled by casting down the dwelling place of your name to the ground.

They have sent Your sanctuary into fire, They defiled the Dwelling Place of Your Name to the earth,

8 They said in their hearts, Let us destroy them together: they have burned up all the synagogues of God in the land.

They said in their hearts, “Let us oppress them together,” They burned all the meeting-places of God in the land.

9 We see not our signs: there is no more any prophet: neither is there among us any that knows how long.

We have not seen our ensigns, There is no longer a prophet, Nor with us is one knowing how long.

10 O God, how long shall the adversary reproach? shall the enemy blaspheme your name for ever?

Until when, O God, does an adversary reproach? Does an enemy despise Your Name forever?

11 Why withdraw you your hand, even your right hand? pluck it out of your bosom.

Why do You turn back Your hand, Even Your right hand? Remove [it] from the midst of Your bosom.

12 For God is my King of old, working salvation in the middle of the earth.

And God [is] my king of old, Working salvation in the midst of the earth.

13 You did divide the sea by your strength: you brake the heads of the dragons in the waters.

You have divided [the] sea by Your strength, You have shattered heads of dragons by the waters,

14 You brake the heads of leviathan in pieces, and gave him to be meat to the people inhabiting the wilderness.

You have broken the heads of leviathan, You make him food for the people of desert-dwellers.

15 You did split the fountain and the flood: you dried up mighty rivers.

You have cleaved a fountain and a stream, You have dried up perennial flowings.

16 The day is yours, the night also is yours: you have prepared the light and the sun.

The day [is] Yours, The night [is] also Yours, You have prepared a light-giver—the sun.

17 You have set all the borders of the earth: you have made summer and winter.

You have set up all the borders of earth, Summer and winter—You have formed them.

18 Remember this, that the enemy has reproached, O LORD, and that the foolish people have blasphemed your name.

Remember this—an enemy reproached YHWH, And a foolish people have despised Your Name.

19 O deliver not the soul of your turtledove to the multitude of the wicked: forget not the congregation of your poor for ever.

Do not give up to a [wild] creature, The soul of Your turtle-dove, Do not forget the life of Your poor ones forever.

20 Have respect to the covenant: for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty.

Look attentively to the covenant, For the dark places of earth, Have been full of habitations of violence.

21 O let not the oppressed return ashamed: let the poor and needy praise your name.

Do not let the oppressed turn back ashamed, Let the poor and needy praise Your Name,

22 Arise, O God, plead your own cause: remember how the foolish man reproaches you daily.

Arise, O God, plead Your plea, Remember Your reproach from a fool all the day.

23 Forget not the voice of your enemies: the tumult of those that rise up against you increases continually.

Do not forget the voice of Your adversaries, The noise of Your withstanders is going up continually!