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 פתוחיה יחד בכשיל וכילפת 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 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.