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?

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.

3 Lift up thy feet to the perpetual desolations; [even] all [that] the enemy hath done wickedly in the sanctuary.

4 Thy enemies roar in the midst of thy congregations; they set up their ensigns [for] signs.

5 [A man] was famous according as he had lifted up axes upon the thick trees.

6 But now they break down the carved work of it at once with axes 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.

8 They said in their hearts, Let us destroy them together: they have burned up all the synagogues 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.

10 O God, how long shall the adversary reproach? shall the enemy blaspheme thy name for ever?

11 Why withdrawest thou thy hand, even thy right hand? pluck [it] out of thy bosom.

12 For God [is] my King of old, 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.

14 Thou didst break the head of leviathan in pieces, [and] didst give him [to be] food to the people inhabiting the wilderness.

15 Thou didst cleave the fountain and the flood: thou didst dry up mighty rivers.

16 The day [is] thine, the night also [is] thine: thou hast prepared the light and the sun.

17 Thou hast set all the borders of the earth: thou hast made summer and winter.

18 Remember this, the enemy hath reproached, O LORD, and the 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.

20 Have respect to the covenant: for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty.

21 O let not the oppressed return ashamed: let the poor and needy praise thy name.

22 Arise, O God, plead thy own cause: remember how the foolish man reproacheth thee daily.

23 Forget not the voice of thy enemies: the tumult of those that rise against thee increaseth continually.