Psalms 74
1 “A Maskil of Assaph.” Why, O God, hast thou cast us off for ever? why will thy anger smoke against the flock of thy pasture?
O God, why have you cast us off for ever? why does your anger smoke against the sheep of your pasture?
2 Remember thy congregation, which thou didst acquire of old; which thou didst redeem as the tribe of thy inheritance: this mount Zion, whereon thou hast dwelt.
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.
3 Lift up thy steps unto the perpetual heaps of ruins: the enemy hath ill-used every thing in the sanctuary.
Lift up your feet to the perpetual desolations; even all that the enemy has done wickedly in the sanctuary.
4 Thy adversaries have roared in the midst of thy places of assembly: they have set up their signs for signs.
Your enemies roar in the middle of your congregations; they set up their ensigns for signs.
5 [The enemy] is known as one that lifteth up high axes against the thickets of a forest.
A man was famous according as he had lifted up axes on the thick trees.
6 And now they hew in pieces the carved work thereof altogether with hatchets and hammers.
But now they break down the carved work thereof at once with axes and hammers.
7 They have set on fire thy sanctuary; to the ground have they profaned the dwelling-place of thy name.
They have cast fire into your sanctuary, they have defiled by casting down the dwelling place of your name to the ground.
8 They have said in their heart, We will oppress them altogether: they have burnt up all the places of assembly of God in the land.
They said in their hearts, Let us destroy them together: they have burned up all the synagogues of God in the land.
9 Our signs do we not see: there is no more any prophet: and there is no one among us that knoweth how long.
We see not our signs: there is no more any prophet: neither is there among us any that knows how long.
10 How long, O God, shall the adversary utter defiance? shall the enemy blaspheme thy name for ever?
O God, how long shall the adversary reproach? shall the enemy blaspheme your name for ever?
11 Why withdrawest thou thy hand, and thy right hand? [draw it] out of thy bosom—exterminate [them];
Why withdraw you your hand, even your right hand? pluck it out of your bosom.
12 Since [thou] God art my King from olden days, working salvation in the midst of the earth.
For God is my King of old, working salvation in the middle of the earth.
13 It was thou that didst divide by thy strength the sea: thou brokest in pieces the heads of the crocodiles on the waters.
You did divide the sea by your strength: you brake the heads of the dragons in the waters.
14 Thou didst crush the heads of leviathan, and gavest them as food to the people inhabiting the wilderness.
You brake the heads of leviathan in pieces, and gave him to be meat to the people inhabiting the wilderness.
15 Thou didst cleave fountain and stream: thou didst dry up ever-flowing rivers.
You did split the fountain and the flood: you dried up mighty rivers.
16 Thine is the day and thine is the night: it is thou who hast prepared the luminary and the sun.
The day is yours, the night also is yours: you have prepared the light and the sun.
17 It is thou who hast set up all the boundaries of the earth: summer and winter—thou thyself hast formed them.
You have set all the borders of the earth: you have made summer and winter.
18 Remember this, that the enemy hath defied the Lord, and that a worthless foolish people have blasphemed thy name.
Remember this, that the enemy has reproached, O LORD, and that the foolish people have blasphemed your name.
19 Oh give not up unto the multitude of enemies the soul of thy turtle-dove: the congregation of thy afflicted do not thou forget for ever.
O deliver not the soul of your turtledove to the multitude of the wicked: forget not the congregation of your poor for ever.
20 Look unto the covenant; for the dark places of the earth are full of habitations of violence.
Have respect to the covenant: for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty.
21 Oh let not the oppressed return confounded: let the poor and needy praise thy name.
O let not the oppressed return ashamed: let the poor and needy praise your name.
22 Arise, O God, plead thy own cause: remember thy defiance from the worthless fool all the day.
Arise, O God, plead your own cause: remember how the foolish man reproaches you daily.
23 Forget not the voice of thy adversaries: the tumult of those that rise up against thee ascendeth continually.
Forget not the voice of your enemies: the tumult of those that rise up against you increases continually.
