Psalms 74
1 O God, why hast thou cast us off for ever? why doth thine anger smoke against the sheep of thy pasture?
A maschil of Asaph. God, why have you rejected us forever? Why does your anger burn against the sheep of your pasture?
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.
Call to mind your people, whom you purchased in ancient times, the tribe whom you have redeemed to be your own heritage, and Mount Zion, where you live.
3 Lift up thy feet unto the perpetual desolations; even all that the enemy hath done wickedly in the sanctuary.
Come look at the complete ruins, all the damage that the enemy has done in the holy place.
4 Thine enemies roar in the midst of thy congregations; they set up their ensigns for signs.
Your adversaries roared in the middle of your appointed place; they set up their battle flags.
5 A man was famous according as he had lifted up axes upon the thick trees.
They hacked away with axes as in a thick forest.
6 But now they break down the carved work thereof at once with axes and hammers.
They smashed and broke down all the engravings; they broke them with axes and hammers.
7 They have cast fire into thy sanctuary, they have defiled by casting down the dwelling place of thy name to the ground.
They set your sanctuary on fire; they desecrated where you live, knocking it to the ground.
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, “We will destroy them all.” They burned up all of your meeting places 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 any more signs; there is no prophet any more, and no one among us knows how long this will last.
10 O God, how long shall the adversary reproach? shall the enemy blaspheme thy name for ever?
How long, God, will the enemy throw insults at you? Will the enemy blaspheme your name forever?
11 Why withdrawest thou thy hand, even thy right hand? pluck it out of thy bosom.
Why do you hold back your hand, your right hand? Take your right hand from your garment and destroy them.
12 For God is my King of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth.
Yet God has been my king from ancient times, bringing salvation on the earth.
13 Thou didst divide the sea by thy strength: thou brakest the heads of the dragons in the waters.
You divided the sea by your strength; you smashed the heads of the sea monsters in the waters.
14 Thou brakest the heads of leviathan in pieces, and gavest him to be meat to the people inhabiting the wilderness.
You crushed the heads of leviathan; you fed him to those living in the wilderness.
15 Thou didst cleave the fountain and the flood: thou driedst up mighty rivers.
You broke open springs and streams; you dried up flowing rivers.
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 also; you set the sun and moon in place.
17 Thou hast set all the borders of the earth: thou hast made summer and winter.
You have set all the borders of the earth; 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.
Call to mind how the enemy hurled insults at you, Yahweh, and that a foolish people has blasphemed your name.
19 O deliver not the soul of thy turtledove unto the multitude of the wicked: forget not the congregation of thy poor for ever.
Do not give the life of your dove to a wild animal. Do not forget forever the life of your oppressed people.
20 Have respect unto the covenant: for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty.
Remember your covenant, for the dark regions of the land are full of places of violence.
21 O let not the oppressed return ashamed: let the poor and needy praise thy name.
Do not let the oppressed be turned back in shame; let the poor and oppressed praise your name.
22 Arise, O God, plead thine own cause: remember how the foolish man reproacheth thee daily.
Arise, God; defend your own honor; call to mind how fools insult you all day long.
23 Forget not the voice of thine enemies: the tumult of those that rise up against thee increaseth continually.
Do not forget the voice of your adversaries or the uproar of those who continually defy you.
