תְהִלִּים 74

1 מַשְׂכִּ֗יל לְאָ֫סָ֥ף לָמָ֣ה אֱ֭לֹהִים זָנַ֣חְתָּ לָנֶ֑צַח יֶעְשַׁ֥ן אַ֝פְּךָ֗ בְּצֹ֣אן מַרְעִיתֶֽךָ׃

[A contemplation by Asaph.] God, why have you rejected us forever? Why does your anger smolder against the sheep of your pasture?

2 זְכֹ֤ר עֲדָתְךָ֨ ׀ קָ֘נִ֤יתָ קֶּ֗דֶם גָּ֭אַלְתָּ שֵׁ֣בֶט נַחֲלָתֶ֑ךָ הַר־צִ֝יּ֗וֹן זֶ֤ה ׀ שָׁכַ֬נְתָּ בּֽוֹ׃

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 הָרִ֣ימָה פְ֭עָמֶיךָ לְמַשֻּׁא֣וֹת נֶ֑צַח כָּל־הֵרַ֖ע אוֹיֵ֣ב בַּקֹּֽדֶשׁ׃

Lift up your feet to the perpetual ruins, all the evil that the enemy has done in the sanctuary.

4 שָׁאֲג֣וּ צֹ֭רְרֶיךָ בְּקֶ֣רֶב מוֹעֲדֶ֑ךָ שָׂ֖מוּ אוֹתֹתָ֣ם אֹתֽוֹת׃

Your adversaries have roared in the midst of your assembly. They have set up their standards as signs.

5 יִ֭וָּדַע כְּמֵבִ֣יא לְמָ֑עְלָה בִּֽסֲבָךְ־עֵ֝֗ץ קַרְדֻּמּֽוֹת׃

They behaved like men wielding axes, cutting through a thicket of trees.

6 וְ֭עַתָּה פִּתּוּחֶ֣יהָ יָּ֑חַד בְּכַשִּׁ֥יל וְ֝כֵֽילַפֹּ֗ת יַהֲלֹמֽוּן׃

Now they break all its carved work down with hatchet and hammers.

7 שִׁלְח֣וּ בָ֭אֵשׁ מִקְדָּשֶׁ֑ךָ לָ֝אָ֗רֶץ חִלְּל֥וּ מִֽשְׁכַּן־שְׁמֶֽךָ׃

They have burned your sanctuary to the ground. They have profaned the dwelling place of your Name.

8 אָמְר֣וּ בְ֭לִבָּם נִינָ֣ם יָ֑חַד שָׂרְפ֖וּ כָל־מוֹעֲדֵי־אֵ֣ל בָּאָֽרֶץ׃

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 אֽוֹתֹתֵ֗ינוּ לֹ֥א רָ֫אִ֥ינוּ אֵֽין־ע֥וֹד נָבִ֑יא וְלֹֽא־אִ֝תָּ֗נוּ יֹדֵ֥עַ עַד־מָֽה׃

We see no miraculous signs. There is no longer any prophet, neither is there among us anyone who knows how long.

10 עַד־מָתַ֣י אֱ֭לֹהִים יְחָ֣רֶף צָ֑ר יְנָ֘אֵ֤ץ אוֹיֵ֖ב שִׁמְךָ֣ לָנֶֽצַח׃

How long, God, shall the enemy mock? Shall the enemy blaspheme your name forever?

11 לָ֤מָּה תָשִׁ֣יב יָ֭דְךָ וִֽימִינֶ֑ךָ מִקֶּ֖רֶב חֵֽיקְךָ֣ כַלֵּֽה׃

Why do you draw back your hand, even your right hand? Take it out of your pocket and consume them.

12 וֵ֭אלֹהִים מַלְכִּ֣י מִקֶּ֑דֶם פֹּעֵ֥ל יְ֝שׁוּע֗וֹת בְּקֶ֣רֶב הָאָֽרֶץ׃

Yet God is my King from long ago, working salvation in the midst of the earth.

13 אַתָּ֤ה פוֹרַ֣רְתָּ בְעָזְּךָ֣ יָ֑ם שִׁבַּ֖רְתָּ רָאשֵׁ֥י תַ֝נִּינִ֗ים עַל־הַמָּֽיִם׃

You divided the sea by your strength. You broke the heads of the sea monsters in the waters.

14 אַתָּ֣ה רִ֭צַּצְתָּ רָאשֵׁ֣י לִוְיָתָ֑ן תִּתְּנֶ֥נּוּ מַ֝אֲכָ֗ל לְעָ֣ם לְצִיִּֽים׃

You broke the heads of Leviathan in pieces. You gave him as food to people and desert creatures.

15 אַתָּ֣ה בָ֭קַעְתָּ מַעְיָ֣ן וָנָ֑חַל אַתָּ֥ה ה֝וֹבַ֗שְׁתָּ נַהֲר֥וֹת אֵיתָֽן׃

You opened up spring and stream. You dried up mighty rivers.

16 לְךָ֣ י֭וֹם אַף־לְךָ֥ לָ֑יְלָה אַתָּ֥ה הֲ֝כִינ֗וֹתָ מָא֥וֹר וָשָֽׁמֶשׁ׃

The day is yours, the night is also yours. You have prepared the light and the sun.

17 אַתָּ֣ה הִ֭צַּבְתָּ כָּל־גְּבוּל֣וֹת אָ֑רֶץ קַ֥יִץ וָ֝חֹ֗רֶף אַתָּ֥ה יְצַרְתָּם׃

You have set all the boundaries of the earth. You have made summer and winter.

18 זְכָר־זֹ֗את א֭וֹיֵב חֵרֵ֣ף ׀ יְהוָ֑ה וְעַ֥ם נָ֝בָ֗ל נִֽאֲצ֥וּ שְׁמֶֽךָ׃

Remember this, that the enemy has mocked you, Jehovah. Foolish people have blasphemed your name.

19 אַל־תִּתֵּ֣ן לְ֭חַיַּת נֶ֣פֶשׁ תּוֹרֶ֑ךָ חַיַּ֥ת עֲ֝נִיֶּ֗יךָ אַל־תִּשְׁכַּ֥ח לָנֶֽצַח׃

Do not deliver the soul of your dove to wild beasts. Do not forget the life of your poor forever.

20 הַבֵּ֥ט לַבְּרִ֑ית כִּ֥י מָלְא֥וּ מַחֲשַׁכֵּי־אֶ֝֗רֶץ נְא֣וֹת חָמָֽס׃

Honor your covenant, for haunts of violence fill the dark places of the earth.

21 אַל־יָשֹׁ֣ב דַּ֣ךְ נִכְלָ֑ם עָנִ֥י וְ֝אֶבְי֗וֹן יְֽהַלְל֥וּ שְׁמֶֽךָ׃

Do not let the oppressed return ashamed. Let the poor and needy praise your name.

22 קוּמָ֣ה אֱ֭לֹהִים רִיבָ֣ה רִיבֶ֑ךָ זְכֹ֥ר חֶרְפָּתְךָ֥ מִנִּי־נָ֝בָ֗ל כָּל־הַיּֽוֹם׃

Arise, God. Plead your own cause. Remember how the foolish man mocks you all day.

23 אַל־תִּ֭שְׁכַּח ק֣וֹל צֹרְרֶ֑יךָ שְׁא֥וֹן קָ֝מֶ֗יךָ עֹלֶ֥ה תָמִֽיד׃

Do not forget the voice of your adversaries. The tumult of those who rise up against you ascends continually.