Psalms 74
1 An Instruction of Asaph. Why, O God, hast Thou cast off for ever? Thine anger smoketh against the flock of Thy pasture.
[A Psalm] of instruction for Asaph. Therefore have you rejected [us], O God, for ever? [therefore] is your wrath kindled against the sheep of your pasture?
2 Remember Thy company. Thou didst purchase of old, Thou didst redeem the rod of Thy inheritance, This mount Zion — Thou didst dwell in it.
Remember your congregation which you have purchased from the beginning; you did ransom the rod of your inheritance; this mount Sion wherein you have lived.
3 Lift up Thy steps to the perpetual desolations, Everything the enemy did wickedly in the sanctuary.
Lift up your hands against their pride continually; [because of] all that the enemy has done wickedly in your holy places.
4 Roared have thine adversaries, In the midst of Thy meeting-places, They have set their ensigns as ensigns.
And they that hate you have boasted in the midst of your feast; they have set up their standards for signs,
5 He is known as one bringing in on high Against a thicket of wood — axes.
ignorantly as it were in the entrance above;
6 And now, its carvings together With axe and hatchet they break down,
they cut down its doors at once with axes as in a wood of trees; they have broken it down with hatchet and stone cutter.
7 They have sent into fire Thy sanctuary, to the earth they polluted the tabernacle of Thy name,
They have burnt your sanctuary with fire to the ground; they have profaned the habitation of your name.
8 They said in their hearts, 'Let us oppress them together,' They did burn all the meeting-places of God in the land.
They have said in their heart, [even] all their kindred together, Come, let us abolish the feasts of the Lord from the earth.
9 Our ensigns we have not seen, There is no more a prophet, Nor with us is one knowing how long.
We have not seen our signs; there is no longer a prophet; and [God] will not know us any more.
10 Till when, O God, doth an adversary reproach? Doth an enemy despise thy name for ever?
How long, O God, shall the enemy reproach? shall the enemy provoke your name forever?
11 Why dost Thou turn back Thy hand, Even Thy right hand? From the midst of Thy bosom remove [it].
Therefore turn you away your hand, and your right hand from the midst of your bosom for ever?
12 And God [is] my king of old, Working salvation in the midst of the earth.
But God is our King of old; he has wrought salvation in the midst of the earth.
13 Thou hast broken by Thy strength a sea -[monster], Thou hast shivered Heads of dragons by the waters,
You did establish the sea, in your might, you did break to pieces the heads of the dragons in the water.
14 Thou hast broken the heads of leviathan, Thou makest him food, For the people of the dry places.
You did break to pieces the heads of the dragon; you did give him [for] meat to the Ethiopian nations.
15 Thou hast cleaved a fountain and a stream, Thou hast dried up perennial flowings.
You did cleave fountains and torrents; you dried up mighty rivers.
16 Thine [is] the day, also Thine [is] the night, Thou hast prepared a light giver — the sun.
The day is your, and the night is your; you have prepared the sun and the moon.
17 Thou hast set up all the borders of earth, Summer and winter Thou hast formed them.
You have made all the borders of the earth; you have made summer and spring.
18 Remember this — an enemy reproached Jehovah, And a foolish people have despised Thy name.
Remember this your creation: an enemy has reproached the Lord, and a foolish people has provoked your name.
19 Give not up to a company, The soul of Thy turtle-dove, The company of Thy poor ones forget not for ever.
Deliver not to the wild beasts a soul that gives praise to you: forget not for ever the souls of your poor.
20 Look attentively to the covenant, For the dark places of earth, Have been full of habitations of violence.
Look upon your covenant: for the dark [places] of the earth are filled with the habitations of iniquity.
21 Let not the oppressed turn back ashamed, Let the poor and needy praise Thy name,
let not the afflicted and shamed one be rejected: the poor and needy shall praise your name.
22 Arise, O God, plead Thy plea, Remember Thy reproach from a fool all the day.
Arise, O God, plead your cause: remember your reproaches that come from the foolish one all the day.
23 Forget not the voice of Thine adversaries, The noise of Thy withstanders is going up continually!
Forget not the voice of your suppliants: let the pride of them that hate you continually ascend before you.
