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.
God, why have you abandoned/rejected us? Will you keep rejecting us forever [RHQ]? Why are you angry with us, since we are like sheep in your pasture [and you are like our shepherd]? [MET, RHQ]
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.
Do not forget your people whom you chose long ago, the people whom you freed [from being slaves in Egypt] and caused to become your tribe. Do not forget Jerusalem, which was (your home/where you dwelt) [on this earth].
3 Lift up Thy steps to the perpetual desolations, Everything the enemy did wickedly in the sanctuary.
Walk along [and see] where everything has been totally ruined; our enemies have destroyed everything in the sacred temple.
4 Roared have thine adversaries, In the midst of Thy meeting-places, They have set their ensigns as ensigns.
Your enemies shouted triumphantly in this sacred place; they erected their banners [to show they had defeated us].
5 He is known as one bringing in on high Against a thicket of wood — axes.
They cut down all the [engraved objects in the temple] like woodsmen cut down trees.
6 And now, its carvings together With axe and hatchet they break down,
Then they smashed all the carved wood with their axes and hammers.
7 They have sent into fire Thy sanctuary, to the earth they polluted the tabernacle of Thy name,
[Then] they burned your temple to the ground; they caused that place where you were worshiped to be unfit for people to worship in.
8 They said in their hearts, 'Let us oppress them together,' They did burn all the meeting-places of God in the land.
They said to themselves, “We will destroy the Israelis completely,” and they [also] burned down all the other places where we gathered to worship God.
9 Our ensigns we have not seen, There is no more a prophet, Nor with us is one knowing how long.
All our sacred symbols (OR, miracles) are gone; there are no prophets now/any more, and no one knows how long [this situation will continue].
10 Till when, O God, doth an adversary reproach? Doth an enemy despise thy name for ever?
God, how long will our enemies make fun of you [RHQ]? Will they insult you [MTY] forever [RHQ]?
11 Why dost Thou turn back Thy hand, Even Thy right hand? From the midst of Thy bosom remove [it].
Why do you refuse to help [MTY, RHQ] us? Why do you keep your hand inside your cloak [instead of using it to destroy our enemies] [RHQ]?
12 And God [is] my king of old, Working salvation in the midst of the earth.
God, you have been our king [all the time] since we came out of Egypt [HYP], and you have enabled us to defeat [our enemies] in the land [of Israel].
13 Thou hast broken by Thy strength a sea -[monster], Thou hast shivered Heads of dragons by the waters,
By your power you caused the [Red] Sea to divide; [it was as though] you smashed the heads of the [rulers of Egypt who were like] huge sea dragons [MET].
14 Thou hast broken the heads of leviathan, Thou makest him food, For the people of the dry places.
[It was as though] you crushed the head of the king of Egypt [MET] and gave his body to the animals in the desert to eat.
15 Thou hast cleaved a fountain and a stream, Thou hast dried up perennial flowings.
You caused springs and streams to flow, and you [also] dried up rivers that had never dried up previously.
16 Thine [is] the day, also Thine [is] the night, Thou hast prepared a light giver — the sun.
You created the days and the nights, and you put the sun and the moon in their places.
17 Thou hast set up all the borders of earth, Summer and winter Thou hast formed them.
You determined where the oceans end and the land begins, and you created the summer/hot season and the winter/cold season.
18 Remember this — an enemy reproached Jehovah, And a foolish people have despised Thy name.
Yahweh, do not forget that your enemies laugh at you, and that it is foolish people who despise you [MTY].
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 let your helpless people [MET] fall into the hands of their cruel enemies; do not forget your suffering/persecuted people.
20 Look attentively to the covenant, For the dark places of earth, Have been full of habitations of violence.
Do not forget the agreement that you made with us; remember that there are violent people in every dark place on the earth.
21 Let not the oppressed turn back ashamed, Let the poor and needy praise Thy name,
Do not allow your oppressed people to be disgraced; help those poor and needy people in order that they will [again] praise you [MTY].
22 Arise, O God, plead Thy plea, Remember Thy reproach from a fool all the day.
God, arise and defend yourself [by defending your people]! Do not forget that foolish people laugh at you (all day long/continually)!
23 Forget not the voice of Thine adversaries, The noise of Thy withstanders is going up continually!
Do not forget that your enemies shout angrily [at you]; the uproar that they make [while they oppose you] never stops.
