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