< Psalms 74 >
1 The lernyng of Asaph. God, whi hast thou put awei in to the ende; thi strong veniaunce is wrooth on the scheep of thi leesewe?
[A contemplation by Asaph.] God, why have you rejected us forever? Why does your anger smolder against the sheep of your pasture?
2 Be thou myndeful of thi gadering togidere; which thou haddist in possessioun fro the bigynnyng. Thou ayenbouytist the yerde of thin eritage; the hille of Syon in which thou dwellidist ther ynne.
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.
3 Reise thin hondis in to the prides of hem; hou grete thingis the enemy dide wickidli in the hooli.
Lift up your feet to the perpetual ruins, all the evil that the enemy has done in the sanctuary.
4 And thei that hatiden thee; hadden glorie in the myddis of thi solempnete.
Your adversaries have roared in the midst of your assembly. They have set up their standards as signs.
5 Thei settiden her signes, `ethir baneris, signes on the hiyeste, as in the outgoing; and thei knewen not.
They behaved like men wielding axes, cutting through a thicket of trees.
6 As in a wode of trees thei heweden doun with axis the yatis therof in to it silf; thei castiden doun it with an ax, and a brood fallinge ax.
Now they break all its carved work down with hatchet and hammers.
7 Thei brenten with fier thi seyntuarie; thei defouliden the tabernacle of thi name in erthe.
They have burned your sanctuary to the ground. They have profaned the dwelling place of your Name.
8 The kynrede of hem seiden togidere in her herte; Make we alle the feest daies of God to ceesse fro the erthe.
They said in their heart, "We will crush them completely." They have burned up all the places in the land where God was worshiped.
9 We han not seyn oure signes, now `no profete is; and he schal no more knowe vs.
We see no miraculous signs. There is no longer any prophet, neither is there among us anyone who knows how long.
10 God, hou long schal the enemye seie dispit? the aduersarie territh to ire thi name in to the ende.
How long, God, shall the enemy mock? Shall the enemy blaspheme your name forever?
11 Whi turnest thou awei thin hoond, and `to drawe out thi riythond fro the myddis of thi bosum, til in to the ende?
Why do you draw back your hand, even your right hand? Take it out of your pocket and consume them.
12 Forsothe God oure kyng bifore worldis; wrouyte heelthe in the mydis of erthe.
Yet God is my King from long ago, working salvation in the midst of the earth.
13 Thou madist sad the see bi thi vertu; thou hast troblid the heedis of dragouns in watris.
You divided the sea by your strength. You broke the heads of the sea monsters in the waters.
14 Thou hast broke the heedis of `the dragoun; thou hast youe hym to mete to the puplis of Ethiopiens.
You broke the heads of Leviathan in pieces. You gave him as food to people and desert creatures.
15 Thou hast broke wellis, and strondis; thou madist drie the flodis of Ethan.
You opened up spring and stream. You dried up mighty rivers.
16 The dai is thin, and the niyt is thin; thou madist the moreutid and the sunne.
The day is yours, the night is also yours. You have prepared the light and the sun.
17 Thou madist alle the endis of erthe; somer and veer tyme, thou fourmedist tho.
You have set all the boundaries of the earth. You have made summer and winter.
18 Be thou myndeful of this thing, the enemye hath seid schenschip to the Lord; and the vnwijs puple hath excitid to ire thi name.
Remember this, that the enemy has mocked you, YHWH. Foolish people have blasphemed your name.
19 Bitake thou not to beestis men knoulechenge to thee; and foryete thou not in to the ende the soulis of thi pore men.
Do not deliver the soul of your dove to wild beasts. Do not forget the life of your poor forever.
20 Biholde in to thi testament; for thei that ben maad derk of erthe, ben fillid with the housis of wickidnessis.
Honor your covenant, for haunts of violence fill the dark places of the earth.
21 A meke man be not turned awei maad aschamed; a pore man and nedi schulen herie thi name.
Do not let the oppressed return ashamed. Let the poor and needy praise your name.
22 God, rise vp, deme thou thi cause; be thou myndeful of thin vpbreidyngis, of tho that ben al dai of the vnwise man.
Arise, God. Plead your own cause. Remember how the foolish man mocks you all day.
23 Foryete thou not the voices of thin enemyes; the pride of hem that haten thee, stieth euere.
Do not forget the voice of your adversaries. The tumult of those who rise up against you ascends continually.