Psalms 74
1 A maschil of Asaph. God, why have you rejected us forever? Why does your anger burn against the sheep of your pasture?
An instruction: of Asaph. Why, O God, hast thou cast off for ever? [why] doth thine anger smoke against the sheep of thy pasture?
2 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.
Remember thine assembly, which thou hast purchased of old, which thou hast redeemed [to be] the portion of thine inheritance, this mount Zion, wherein thou hast dwelt.
3 Come look at the complete ruins, all the damage that the enemy has done in the holy place.
Lift up thy steps unto the perpetual desolations: everything in the sanctuary hath the enemy destroyed.
4 Your adversaries roared in the middle of your appointed place; they set up their battle flags.
Thine adversaries roar in the midst of thy place of assembly; they set up their signs [for] signs.
5 They hacked away with axes as in a thick forest.
[A man] was known as he could lift up axes in the thicket of trees;
6 They smashed and broke down all the engravings; they broke them with axes and hammers.
And now they break down its carved work altogether, with hatchets and hammers.
7 They set your sanctuary on fire; they desecrated where you live, knocking it to the ground.
They have set on fire thy sanctuary, they have profaned the habitation of thy name to the ground.
8 They said in their hearts, “We will destroy them all.” They burned up all of your meeting places in the land.
They said in their heart, Let us destroy them together: they have burned up all God's places of assembly in the land.
9 We do not see any more signs; there is no prophet any more, and no one among us knows how long this will last.
We see not our signs; there is no more any prophet, neither is there among us any that knoweth how long.
10 How long, God, will the enemy throw insults at you? Will the enemy blaspheme your name forever?
How long, O God, shall the adversary reproach? Shall the enemy contemn thy name for ever?
11 Why do you hold back your hand, your right hand? Take your right hand from your garment and destroy them.
Why withdrawest thou thy hand, and thy right hand? [pluck it] out of thy bosom: consume [them].
12 Yet God has been my king from ancient times, bringing salvation on the earth.
But God is my king of old, accomplishing deliverances in the midst of the earth.
13 You divided the sea by your strength; you smashed the heads of the sea monsters in the waters.
Thou didst divide the sea by thy strength; thou didst break the heads of the monsters on the waters:
14 You crushed the heads of leviathan; you fed him to those living in the wilderness.
Thou didst break in pieces the heads of leviathan, thou gavest him to be meat to those that people the desert.
15 You broke open springs and streams; you dried up flowing rivers.
Thou didst cleave fountain and torrent, thou driedst up ever-flowing rivers.
16 The day is yours, and the night is yours also; you set the sun and moon in place.
The day is thine, the night also is thine; thou hast prepared the moon and the 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; summer and winter — thou didst form them.
18 Call to mind how the enemy hurled insults at you, Yahweh, and that a foolish people has blasphemed your name.
Remember this, that an enemy hath reproached Jehovah, and a foolish people have contemned thy name.
19 Do not give the life of your dove to a wild animal. Do not forget forever the life of your oppressed people.
Give not up the soul of thy turtle-dove unto the wild beast; forget not the troop of thine afflicted for ever.
20 Remember your covenant, for the dark regions of the land are full of places of violence.
Have respect unto the covenant; for the dark places of the earth are full of the dwellings of violence.
21 Do not let the oppressed be turned back in shame; let the poor and oppressed praise your name.
Oh let not the oppressed one return ashamed; let the afflicted and needy praise thy name.
22 Arise, God; defend your own honor; call to mind how fools insult you all day long.
Rise up, O God, plead thine own cause: remember how the foolish man reproacheth thee all the day;
23 Do not forget the voice of your adversaries or the uproar of those who continually defy you.
Forget not the voice of thine adversaries: the tumult of those that rise up against thee ascendeth continually.
