Psalms 74
1 “A psalm of Asaph.” O God! why hast thou cast us off for ever? Why doth thine 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 the people which thou didst purchase of old; Thine own inheritance, which thou didst redeem; That Mount Zion, where thou once didst dwell!
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.
3 Hasten thy steps to those utter desolations! Every thing in the sanctuary hath the enemy abused!
Lift up your feet unto the perpetual desolations; even all that the enemy has done wickedly in the sanctuary.
4 Thine enemies roar in the place of thine assemblies; Their own symbols have they set up for signs.
your enemies roar in the midst of your congregations; they set up their ensigns for signs.
5 They appear like those who raise the axe against a thicket;
A man was famous according as he had lifted up axes upon the thick trees.
6 They have broken down the carved work of thy temple with axes and hammers;
But now they break down the carved work thereof at once with axes and hammers.
7 They have cast fire into thy sanctuary; They have profaned, and cast to the ground, 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 said in their hearts, “Let us destroy them all together!” They have burned all God's places of assembly 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 We no longer see our signs; There is no prophet among us, Nor any one that knoweth how long this desolation shall endure.
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 revile? 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, even thy right hand? Take it from thy bosom, and destroy!
Why withdraw you your hand, even your right hand? pluck it out of your bosom.
12 Yet God was our king of old, Working salvation in the midst of the earth.
For God is my King of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth.
13 Thou didst divide the sea by thy power; Thou didst crush the heads of the sea-monsters in the waters.
You did divide the sea by your strength: you brake the heads of the dragons in the waters.
14 Thou didst break in pieces the head of the crocodile; Thou gavest him for food to the inhabitants of the desert.
You brake the heads of leviathan (sea serpent) in pieces, and gave him to be food to the people inhabiting the wilderness.
15 Thou didst cleave forth the fountain and the stream; Thou didst dry up perennial rivers.
You did cleave the fountain and the flood: you dried up mighty rivers.
16 Thine is the day, and thine the night; Thou didst prepare the light and the sun.
The day is yours, the night also is yours: you have prepared the light and the sun.
17 Thou didst establish all the boundaries of the earth; Thou didst make summer and winter.
You have set all the borders of the earth: you have made summer and winter.
18 O remember that the enemy hath reviled Jehovah; That an impious people hath blasphemed thy name!
Remember this, that the enemy has reproached, O LORD, and that the foolish people have blasphemed your name.
19 Give not up the life of thy turtle-dove to the wild beast; Forget not for ever thine afflicted people!
O deliver not the soul of your turtledove unto the multitude of the wicked: forget not the congregation of your poor for ever.
20 Have regard to thy covenant! For all the dark places of the land are full of the abodes of cruelty.
Have respect unto the covenant: for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty.
21 O let not the afflicted go away ashamed! 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! maintain thy cause! Remember how the impious revileth thee daily!
Arise, O God, plead your own cause: remember how the foolish man reproaches you daily.
23 Forget not the clamor of thine adversaries, —The noise of thine enemies, which continually increaseth!
Forget not the voice of your enemies: the tumult of those that rise up against you increases continually.
