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?
“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?
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 didst acquire of old; which thou didst redeem as the tribe of thy inheritance: this mount Zion, whereon 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 heaps of ruins: the enemy hath ill-used every thing in the sanctuary.
4 Your adversaries roared in the middle of your appointed place; they set up their battle flags.
Thy adversaries have roared in the midst of thy places of assembly: they have set up their signs for signs.
5 They hacked away with axes as in a thick forest.
[The enemy] is known as one that lifteth up high axes against the thickets of a forest.
6 They smashed and broke down all the engravings; they broke them with axes and hammers.
And now they hew in pieces the carved work thereof 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; to the ground have they profaned the dwelling-place of thy name.
8 They said in their hearts, “We will destroy them all.” They burned up all of your meeting places in the land.
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.
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.
Our signs do we not see: there is no more any prophet: and there is no one among us 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 utter defiance? 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, and thy right hand? [draw it] out of thy bosom—exterminate [them];
12 Yet God has been my king from ancient times, bringing salvation on the earth.
Since [thou] God art my King from olden days, 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.
It was thou that didst divide by thy strength the sea: thou brokest in pieces the heads of the crocodiles on the waters.
14 You crushed the heads of leviathan; you fed him to those living in the wilderness.
Thou didst crush the heads of leviathan, and gavest them as food to the people inhabiting the wilderness.
15 You broke open springs and streams; you dried up flowing rivers.
Thou didst cleave fountain and stream: thou didst dry up ever-flowing rivers.
16 The day is yours, and the night is yours also; you set the sun and moon in place.
Thine is the day and thine is the night: it is thou who hast prepared the luminary and the sun.
17 You have set all the borders of the earth; you have made summer and winter.
It is thou who hast set up all the boundaries of the earth: summer and winter—thou thyself hast formed 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 the enemy hath defied the Lord, and that a worthless 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.
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.
20 Remember your covenant, for the dark regions of the land are full of places of violence.
Look unto the covenant; for the dark places of the earth are full of habitations 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 return confounded: 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 thy own cause: remember thy defiance from the worthless fool 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 thy adversaries: the tumult of those that rise up against thee ascendeth continually.
