< Psalms 74 >

1 A contemplation by Asaph. God, why have you rejected us forever? Why does your anger smoulder against the sheep of your pasture?
מַשְׂכִּיל לְאָסָף לָמָה אֱלֹהִים זָנַחְתָּ לָנֶצַח יֶעְשַׁן אַפְּךָ בְּצֹאן מַרְעִיתֶֽךָ׃
2 Remember your congregation, which you purchased of old, which you have redeemed to be the tribe of your inheritance: Mount Zion, in which you have lived.
זְכֹר עֲדָתְךָ ׀ קָנִיתָ קֶּדֶם גָּאַלְתָּ שֵׁבֶט נַחֲלָתֶךָ הַר־צִיּוֹן זֶה ׀ שָׁכַנְתָּ בּֽוֹ׃
3 Lift up your feet to the perpetual ruins, all the evil that the enemy has done in the sanctuary.
הָרִימָה פְעָמֶיךָ לְמַשֻּׁאוֹת נֶצַח כָּל־הֵרַע אוֹיֵב בַּקֹּֽדֶשׁ׃
4 Your adversaries have roared in the middle of your assembly. They have set up their standards as signs.
שָׁאֲגוּ צֹרְרֶיךָ בְּקֶרֶב מוֹעֲדֶךָ שָׂמוּ אוֹתֹתָם אֹתֽוֹת׃
5 They behaved like men wielding axes, cutting through a thicket of trees.
יִוָּדַע כְּמֵבִיא לְמָעְלָה בִּֽסֲבָךְ־עֵץ קַרְדֻּמּֽוֹת׃
6 Now they break all its carved work down with hatchet and hammers.
ועת וְעַתָּה פִּתּוּחֶיהָ יָּחַד בְּכַשִּׁיל וְכֵֽילַפֹּת יַהֲלֹמֽוּן׃
7 They have burnt your sanctuary to the ground. They have profaned the dwelling place of your Name.
שִׁלְחוּ בָאֵשׁ מִקְדָּשֶׁךָ לָאָרֶץ חִלְּלוּ מִֽשְׁכַּן־שְׁמֶֽךָ׃
8 They said in their heart, “We will crush them completely.” They have burnt up all the places in the land where God was worshipped.
אָמְרוּ בְלִבָּם נִינָם יָחַד שָׂרְפוּ כָל־מוֹעֲדֵי־אֵל בָּאָֽרֶץ׃
9 We see no miraculous signs. There is no longer any prophet, neither is there amongst us anyone who knows how long.
אֽוֹתֹתֵינוּ לֹא רָאִינוּ אֵֽין־עוֹד נָבִיא וְלֹֽא־אִתָּנוּ יֹדֵעַ עַד־מָֽה׃
10 How long, God, shall the adversary reproach? Shall the enemy blaspheme your name forever?
עַד־מָתַי אֱלֹהִים יְחָרֶף צָר יְנָאֵץ אוֹיֵב שִׁמְךָ לָנֶֽצַח׃
11 Why do you draw back your hand, even your right hand? Take it from your chest and consume them!
לָמָּה תָשִׁיב יָדְךָ וִֽימִינֶךָ מִקֶּרֶב חוקך חֽ͏ֵיקְךָ כַלֵּֽה׃
12 Yet God is my King of old, working salvation throughout the earth.
וֵאלֹהִים מַלְכִּי מִקֶּדֶם פֹּעֵל יְשׁוּעוֹת בְּקֶרֶב הָאָֽרֶץ׃
13 You divided the sea by your strength. You broke the heads of the sea monsters in the waters.
אַתָּה פוֹרַרְתָּ בְעָזְּךָ יָם שִׁבַּרְתָּ רָאשֵׁי תַנִּינִים עַל־הַמָּֽיִם׃
14 You broke the heads of Leviathan in pieces. You gave him as food to people and desert creatures.
אַתָּה רִצַּצְתָּ רָאשֵׁי לִוְיָתָן תִּתְּנֶנּוּ מַאֲכָל לְעָם לְצִיִּֽים׃
15 You opened up spring and stream. You dried up mighty rivers.
אַתָּה בָקַעְתָּ מַעְיָן וָנָחַל אַתָּה הוֹבַשְׁתָּ נַהֲרוֹת אֵיתָֽן׃
16 The day is yours, the night is also yours. You have prepared the light and the sun.
לְךָ יוֹם אַף־לְךָ לָיְלָה אַתָּה הֲכִינוֹתָ מָאוֹר וָשָֽׁמֶשׁ׃
17 You have set all the boundaries of the earth. You have made summer and winter.
אַתָּה הִצַּבְתָּ כָּל־גְּבוּלוֹת אָרֶץ קַיִץ וָחֹרֶף אַתָּה יְצַרְתָּם׃
18 Remember this, that the enemy has mocked you, LORD. Foolish people have blasphemed your name.
זְכָר־זֹאת אוֹיֵב חֵרֵף ׀ יְהוָה וְעַם נָבָל נִֽאֲצוּ שְׁמֶֽךָ׃
19 Don’t deliver the soul of your dove to wild beasts. Don’t forget the life of your poor forever.
אַל־תִּתֵּן לְחַיַּת נֶפֶשׁ תּוֹרֶךָ חַיַּת עֲנִיֶּיךָ אַל־תִּשְׁכַּח לָנֶֽצַח׃
20 Honour your covenant, for haunts of violence fill the dark places of the earth.
הַבֵּט לַבְּרִית כִּי מָלְאוּ מַחֲשַׁכֵּי־אֶרֶץ נְאוֹת חָמָֽס׃
21 Don’t let the oppressed return ashamed. Let the poor and needy praise your name.
אַל־יָשֹׁב דַּךְ נִכְלָם עָנִי וְאֶבְיוֹן יְֽהַלְלוּ שְׁמֶֽךָ׃
22 Arise, God! Plead your own cause. Remember how the foolish man mocks you all day.
קוּמָה אֱלֹהִים רִיבָה רִיבֶךָ זְכֹר חֶרְפָּתְךָ מִנִּי־נָבָל כָּל־הַיּֽוֹם׃
23 Don’t forget the voice of your adversaries. The tumult of those who rise up against you ascends continually.
אַל־תִּשְׁכַּח קוֹל צֹרְרֶיךָ שְׁאוֹן קָמֶיךָ עֹלֶה תָמִֽיד׃

< Psalms 74 >