Psalms 74
1 O God, why have you cast us off for ever? why does your anger smoke against the sheep of your pasture?
[A contemplation by Asaph.] God, why have you rejected us forever? Why does your anger smolder against the sheep 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, which you purchased of old, which you have redeemed to be the tribe of your inheritance; Mount Zion, in which you have lived.
3 Lift up your feet to the perpetual desolations; even all that the enemy has done wickedly in the sanctuary.
Lift up your feet to the perpetual ruins, all the evil that the enemy has done 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 assembly. They have set up their standards as signs.
5 A man was famous according as he had lifted up axes on the thick trees.
They behaved like men wielding axes, cutting through a thicket of trees.
6 But now they break down the carved work thereof at once with axes and hammers.
Now they break all its carved work down with hatchet and hammers.
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 burned your sanctuary to the ground. They have profaned the dwelling place of your Name.
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 heart, "We will crush them completely." They have burned up all the places in the land where God was worshiped.
9 We see not our signs: there is no more any prophet: neither is there among us any that knows how long.
We see no miraculous signs. There is no longer any prophet, neither is there among us anyone who knows how long.
10 O God, how long shall the adversary reproach? shall the enemy blaspheme your name for ever?
How long, God, shall the enemy mock? Shall the enemy blaspheme your name forever?
11 Why withdraw you your hand, even your right hand? pluck it out of your bosom.
Why do you draw back your hand, even your right hand? Take it out of your pocket and consume them.
12 For God is my King of old, working salvation in the middle of the earth.
Yet God is my King from long ago, 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 divided the sea by your strength. You broke the heads of the sea monsters in the waters.
14 You brake the heads of leviathan in pieces, and gave him to be meat to the people inhabiting the wilderness.
You broke the heads of Leviathan in pieces. You gave him as food to people and desert creatures.
15 You did split the fountain and the flood: you dried up mighty rivers.
You opened up spring and stream. You dried up mighty rivers.
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 the light and the sun.
17 You have set all the borders of the earth: you have made summer and winter.
You have set all the boundaries of the earth. You have made summer and winter.
18 Remember this, that the enemy has reproached, O LORD, and that the foolish people have blasphemed your name.
Remember this, that the enemy has mocked you, LORD. Foolish people have blasphemed 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 deliver the soul of your dove to wild beasts. Do not forget the life of your poor forever.
20 Have respect to the covenant: for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty.
Honor your covenant, for haunts of violence fill the dark places of the earth.
21 O let not the oppressed return ashamed: let the poor and needy praise your name.
Do not let the oppressed return 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, God. Plead your own cause. Remember how the foolish man mocks you all 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 tumult of those who rise up against you ascends continually.
