Psalms 74
1 O Elohim, why hast thou cast us off for ever? why doth thine anger smoke 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 purchased of old; the rod of thine inheritance, which thou hast redeemed; this mount Zion, wherein 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 feet unto the perpetual desolations; even all that 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 Thine enemies roar in the midst of thy congregations; they 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 A man was famous according as he had lifted up axes upon the thick trees.
They are cutting down, like a man whose blade is lifted up against the thick trees.
6 But now they break down the carved work thereof at once with axes and hammers.
Your doors are broken down with hammers and iron blades.
7 They have cast fire into thy sanctuary, they have defiled by casting down the dwelling place of thy name to the ground.
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 hearts, Let us destroy them together: they have burned up all the synagogues of El in 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 We see not our signs: there is no more any prophet: neither is there among us any that knoweth how long.
We do not see our signs: there is no longer any prophet, or anyone among us to say how long.
10 O Elohim, how long shall the adversary reproach? shall the enemy blaspheme 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 withdrawest thou thy hand, even thy right hand? pluck it out of thy bosom.
Why are you keeping back your hand, and covering your right hand in your robe?
12 For Elohim is my King of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth.
For from the past God is my King, working salvation in the earth.
13 Thou didst divide the sea by thy strength: thou brakest 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 brakest the heads of leviathan in pieces, and gavest him to be meat to the people inhabiting the wilderness.
The heads of the great snake were crushed by you; you gave them as food to the fishes of the sea.
15 Thou didst cleave the fountain and the flood: thou driedst up mighty rivers.
You made valleys for fountains and springs; you made the ever-flowing rivers dry.
16 The day is thine, the night also is thine: thou hast prepared the light and the sun.
The day is yours and the night is yours: you made the light and the sun.
17 Thou hast set all the borders of the earth: thou hast made summer and winter.
By you all the limits of the earth were fixed; you have made summer and winter.
18 Remember this, that the enemy hath reproached, O YHWH, and that the foolish people have blasphemed 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 O deliver not the soul of thy turtledove unto the multitude of the wicked: forget not the congregation of thy poor for ever.
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 respect unto the covenant: for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty.
Keep in mind your undertaking; for the dark places of the earth are full of pride and cruel acts.
21 O let not the oppressed return ashamed: let the poor and needy 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 Elohim, plead thine own cause: remember how the foolish man reproacheth thee daily.
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 voice of thine enemies: the tumult of those that rise up against thee increaseth continually.
Keep in mind the voice of your haters; the outcry of those who come against you goes up every day.
