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 contemplation by Asaph. God, why have you rejected us forever? Why does your anger smoulder 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.
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 thy feet unto the perpetual desolations; even all that the enemy hath 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 Thine enemies roar in the midst of thy congregations; they set up their ensigns for signs.
Your adversaries have roared in the middle of your assembly. They have set up their standards as signs.
5 A man was famous according as he had lifted up axes upon 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 thy sanctuary, they have defiled by casting down the dwelling place of thy name to the ground.
They have burnt 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 burnt up all the places in the land where God was worshipped.
9 We see not our signs: there is no more any prophet: neither is there among us any that knoweth how long.
We see no miraculous signs. There is no longer any prophet, neither is there amongst us anyone who knows how long.
10 O God, how long shall the adversary reproach? shall the enemy blaspheme thy name for ever?
How long, God, shall the adversary reproach? Shall 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 draw back your hand, even your right hand? Take it from your chest and consume them!
12 For God is my King of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth.
Yet God is my King of old, working salvation throughout 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 broke 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 broke the heads of Leviathan in pieces. You gave him as food to people and desert creatures.
15 Thou didst cleave the fountain and the flood: thou driedst up mighty rivers.
You opened up spring and stream. You dried up mighty rivers.
16 The day is thine, the night also is thine: thou hast prepared the light and the sun.
The day is yours, the night is also yours. You have prepared the light and the sun.
17 Thou hast set all the borders of the earth: thou hast 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 hath reproached, O Yhwh, and that the foolish people have blasphemed thy name.
Remember this, that the enemy has mocked you, LORD. Foolish people have 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.
Don’t deliver the soul of your dove to wild beasts. Don’t forget the life of your poor forever.
20 Have respect unto the covenant: for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty.
Honour 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 thy name.
Don’t let the oppressed return ashamed. Let the poor and needy praise your name.
22 Arise, O God, plead thine own cause: remember how the foolish man reproacheth thee daily.
Arise, God! Plead your own cause. Remember how the foolish man mocks you all day.
23 Forget not the voice of thine enemies: the tumult of those that rise up against thee increaseth continually.
Don’t forget the voice of your adversaries. The tumult of those who rise up against you ascends continually.
