תהילים 74

1 משכיל לאסף למה אלהים זנחת לנצח יעשן אפך בצאן מרעיתך

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 זכר עדתך קנית קדם-- גאלת שבט נחלתך הר-ציון זה שכנת בו

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 הרימה פעמיך למשאות נצח כל-הרע אויב בקדש

Walk along [and see] where everything has been totally ruined; our enemies have destroyed everything in the sacred temple.

4 שאגו צרריך בקרב מועדך שמו אותתם אתות

Your enemies shouted triumphantly in this sacred place; they erected their banners [to show they had defeated us].

5 יודע כמביא למעלה בסבך-עץ קרדמות

They cut down all the [engraved objects in the temple] like woodsmen cut down trees.

6 ועת (ועתה) פתוחיה יחד-- בכשיל וכילפות יהלמון

Then they smashed all the carved wood with their axes and hammers.

7 שלחו באש מקדשך לארץ חללו משכן-שמך

[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 אמרו בלבם נינם יחד שרפו כל-מועדי-אל בארץ

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 אותתינו לא ראינו אין-עוד נביא ולא-אתנו ידע עד-מה

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 עד-מתי אלהים יחרף צר ינאץ אויב שמך לנצח

God, how long will our enemies make fun of you [RHQ]? Will they insult you [MTY] forever [RHQ]?

11 למה תשיב ידך וימינך מקרב חוקך (חיקך) כלה

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 ואלהים מלכי מקדם פעל ישועות בקרב הארץ

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 אתה פוררת בעזך ים שברת ראשי תנינים על-המים

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 אתה רצצת ראשי לויתן תתננו מאכל לעם לציים

[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 אתה בקעת מעין ונחל אתה הובשת נהרות איתן

You caused springs and streams to flow, and you [also] dried up rivers that had never dried up previously.

16 לך יום אף-לך לילה אתה הכינות מאור ושמש

You created the days and the nights, and you put the sun and the moon in their places.

17 אתה הצבת כל-גבולות ארץ קיץ וחרף אתה יצרתם

You determined where the oceans end and the land begins, and you created the summer/hot season and the winter/cold season.

18 זכר-זאת--אויב חרף יהוה ועם נבל נאצו שמך

Yahweh, do not forget that your enemies laugh at you, and that it is foolish people who despise you [MTY].

19 אל-תתן לחית נפש תורך חית ענייך אל-תשכח לנצח

Do not let your helpless people [MET] fall into the hands of their cruel enemies; do not forget your suffering/persecuted people.

20 הבט לברית כי מלאו מחשכי-ארץ נאות חמס

Do not forget the agreement that you made with us; remember that there are violent people in every dark place on the earth.

21 אל-ישב דך נכלם עני ואביון יהללו שמך

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 קומה אלהים ריבה ריבך זכר חרפתך מני-נבל כל-היום

God, arise and defend yourself [by defending your people]! Do not forget that foolish people laugh at you (all day long/continually)!

23 אל-תשכח קול צרריך שאון קמיך עלה תמיד

Do not forget that your enemies shout angrily [at you]; the uproar that they make [while they oppose you] never stops.