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?
Maschil of Asaph. O God, why hast thou cast [us] 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 thy congregation, [which] thou hast purchased of old; the rod of thine inheritance, [which] thou hast redeemed; 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 feet unto the perpetual desolations; [even] all [that] the enemy hath done wickedly in the sanctuary.
4 Your adversaries roared in the middle of your appointed place; they set up their battle flags.
Thine enemies roar in the midst of thy congregations; they set up their ensigns [for] signs.
5 They hacked away with axes as in a thick forest.
[A man] was famous according as he had lifted up axes upon the thick trees.
6 They smashed and broke down all the engravings; they broke them with axes and hammers.
But now they break down the carved work thereof at once with axes and hammers.
7 They set your sanctuary on fire; they desecrated where you live, knocking it to the ground.
They have cast fire into thy sanctuary, they have defiled [by casting down] the dwelling place 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 hearts, Let us destroy them together: they have burned up all the synagogues of God 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?
O God, how long shall the adversary reproach? shall the enemy blaspheme 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, even thy right hand? pluck [it] out of thy bosom.
12 Yet God has been my king from ancient times, bringing salvation on the earth.
For God [is] my King of old, working salvation 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 brakest the heads of the dragons in the waters.
14 You crushed the heads of leviathan; you fed him to those living in the wilderness.
Thou brakest the heads of leviathan in pieces, [and] gavest him [to be] meat to the people inhabiting the wilderness.
15 You broke open springs and streams; you dried up flowing rivers.
Thou didst cleave the fountain and the flood: thou driedst up mighty 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 light 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: thou hast made summer and winter.
18 Call to mind how the enemy hurled insults at you, Yahweh, and that a foolish people has blasphemed your name.
Remember this, [that] the enemy hath reproached, O LORD, and [that] the foolish people have blasphemed 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.
O deliver not the soul of thy turtledove unto the multitude [of the wicked: ] forget not the congregation of thy poor 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 habitations of cruelty.
21 Do not let the oppressed be turned back in shame; let the poor and oppressed praise your name.
O let not the oppressed return ashamed: let the poor and needy praise thy name.
22 Arise, God; defend your own honor; call to mind how fools insult you all day long.
Arise, O God, plead thine own cause: remember how the foolish man reproacheth thee daily.
23 Do not forget the voice of your adversaries or the uproar of those who continually defy you.
Forget not the voice of thine enemies: the tumult of those that rise up against thee increaseth continually.
