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 maskil of Asaph. Why, O God, have you spurned us forever? Why smokes your wrath 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 the community you purchased of old to become by redemption the tribe of your heritage, Zion, the mountain you made your home.
3 Lift up Thy steps to the perpetual desolations, Everything the enemy did wickedly in the sanctuary.
Rouse yourself, visit its ruins complete. In the temple the foe has made havoc of all things.
4 Roared have thine adversaries, In the midst of Thy meeting-places, They have set their ensigns as ensigns.
Like lions your enemies roared through your house, replacing our symbols by signs of their own,
5 He is known as one bringing in on high Against a thicket of wood — axes.
hacking, like woodsmen who lift axes on thickets of trees,
6 And now, its carvings together With axe and hatchet they break down,
smashing with hatchets and hammers all of its carved work together.
7 They have sent into fire Thy sanctuary, to the earth they polluted the tabernacle of Thy name,
They have set your temple on fire, to the very ground they have outraged the place where lives 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, “Let us utterly crush them.” They have burned all the houses of God in the land.
9 Our ensigns we have not seen, There is no more a prophet, Nor with us is one knowing how long.
No symbol of ours do we see any more: no prophet is there any more, none is with us who knows how long.
10 Till when, O God, doth an adversary reproach? Doth an enemy despise thy name for ever?
How long, O God, is the foe to insult? Shall the enemy spurn your name forever?
11 Why dost Thou turn back Thy hand, Even Thy right hand? From the midst of Thy bosom remove [it].
Why, O Lord, do you hold back your hand, why keep your right hand in the folds of your robe?
12 And God [is] my king of old, Working salvation in the midst of the earth.
Yet God is our king from the ancient days, in the midst of the earth working deeds of salvation.
13 Thou hast broken by Thy strength a sea -[monster], Thou hast shivered Heads of dragons by the waters,
It was you who did cleave the sea by your might, and shatter the heads of the ocean monsters.
14 Thou hast broken the heads of leviathan, Thou makest him food, For the people of the dry places.
It was you who did crush many-headed Leviathan, and give him as food to the beasts of the wilderness.
15 Thou hast cleaved a fountain and a stream, Thou hast dried up perennial flowings.
It was you who did cleave the fountains and torrents; it was you who did dry the perennial streams.
16 Thine [is] the day, also Thine [is] the night, Thou hast prepared a light giver — the sun.
Yours is the day; yours, too, is the night, it was you who did establish the sun and the star.
17 Thou hast set up all the borders of earth, Summer and winter Thou hast formed them.
It was you who did fix all the borders of earth: summer and winter it’s you who have made them.
18 Remember this — an enemy reproached Jehovah, And a foolish people have despised Thy name.
Yet, for all this, the foe has insulted you, Lord, and a nation of fools has reviled 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.
Do not give your dove to the beasts, do not forget your afflicted forever.
20 Look attentively to the covenant, For the dark places of earth, Have been full of habitations of violence.
Look to the sleek ones – how full they are: the dark places of earth are the dwellings of violence.
21 Let not the oppressed turn back ashamed, Let the poor and needy praise Thy name,
O let not the downtrodden turn back ashamed: let the poor and the needy sing praise to your name.
22 Arise, O God, plead Thy plea, Remember Thy reproach from a fool all the day.
Arise, God, and defend your cause: remember how fools all the day insult you.
23 Forget not the voice of Thine adversaries, The noise of Thy withstanders is going up continually!
Do not forget the uproar of your enemies, the din of your foes that ascends evermore.
