< Psalms 74 >

1 O God, why have you cast us off for ever? why does your anger smoke against the sheep of your pasture?
Maschil of Asaph. Why, O God, hast Thou cast us off for ever? Why doth Thine anger smoke against the flock of Thy 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 dwelt.
Remember Thy congregation, which Thou hast gotten of old, which Thou hast redeemed to be the tribe of Thine inheritance; and mount Zion, wherein Thou hast dwelt.
3 Lift up your feet unto the perpetual desolations; even all that the enemy has done wickedly in the sanctuary.
Lift up Thy steps because of the perpetual ruins, even all the evil that the enemy hath done in the sanctuary.
4 your enemies roar in the midst of your congregations; they set up their ensigns for signs.
Thine adversaries have roared in the midst of Thy meeting-place; they have set up their own signs for signs.
5 A man was famous according as he had lifted up axes upon the thick trees.
It seemed as when men wield upwards axes in a thicket of trees.
6 But now they break down the carved work thereof at once with axes and hammers.
And now all the carved work thereof together they strike 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 set Thy sanctuary on fire; they have profaned the dwelling-place of Thy name even 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 heart: 'Let us make havoc of them altogether'; they have burned up 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 see not our signs; there is no more any prophet; neither is there among us any that knoweth how long.
10 O God, how long shall the adversary reproach? shall the enemy blaspheme your name for ever?
How long, O God, shall the adversary reproach? Shall the enemy blaspheme Thy name for ever?
11 Why withdraw you your hand, even your right hand? pluck it out of your bosom.
Why withdrawest Thou Thy hand, even Thy right hand? Draw it out of Thy bosom 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 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.
Thou didst break the sea in pieces by Thy strength; Thou didst shatter the heads of the sea-monsters in the waters.
14 You brake the heads of leviathan (sea serpent) in pieces, and gave him to be food to the people inhabiting the wilderness.
Thou didst crush the heads of leviathan, Thou gavest him to be food to the folk inhabiting the wilderness.
15 You did cleave the fountain and the flood: you dried up mighty rivers.
Thou didst cleave fountain and brook; Thou driedst up ever-flowing rivers.
16 The day is yours, the night also is yours: you have prepared the light and the sun.
Thine is the day, Thine also the night; Thou hast established luminary and sun.
17 You have set all the borders of the earth: you have made summer and winter.
Thou hast set all the borders of the earth; Thou hast 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, how the enemy hath reproached the LORD, and how a base people have blasphemed Thy name.
19 O deliver not the soul of your turtledove unto the multitude of the wicked: forget not the congregation of your poor for ever.
O deliver not the soul of Thy turtle-dove unto the wild beast; forget not the life of Thy poor for ever.
20 Have respect unto the covenant: for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty.
Look upon the covenant; for the dark places of the land are full of the habitations of violence.
21 O let not the oppressed return ashamed: let the poor and needy praise your name.
O let not the oppressed turn back in confusion; let the poor and needy praise Thy name.
22 Arise, O God, plead your own cause: remember how the foolish man reproaches you daily.
Arise, O God, plead Thine own cause; remember Thy reproach all the day at the hand of the base man.
23 Forget not the voice of your enemies: the tumult of those that rise up against you increases continually.
Forget not the voice of Thine adversaries, the tumult of those that rise up against Thee which ascendeth continually.

< Psalms 74 >