Psalms 74

1 Maschil. Of Asaph. Of God, why have you put us away from you for ever? why is the fire of your wrath smoking against the sheep who are your care?

The lernyng of Asaph. God, whi hast thou put awei in to the ende; thi strong veniaunce is wrooth on the scheep of thi leesewe?

2 Keep in mind your band of worshippers, for whom you gave payment in the days which are past, whom you took for yourself as the people of your heritage; even this mountain of Zion, which has been your resting-place.

Be thou myndeful of thi gadering togidere; which thou haddist in possessioun fro the bigynnyng. Thou ayenbouytist the yerde of thin eritage; the hille of Syon in which thou dwellidist ther ynne.

3 Go up and see the unending destruction; all the evil which your haters have done in the holy place;

Reise thin hondis in to the prides of hem; hou grete thingis the enemy dide wickidli in the hooli.

4 Sending out their voices like lions among your worshippers; they have put up their signs to be seen.

And thei that hatiden thee; hadden glorie in the myddis of thi solempnete.

5 They are cutting down, like a man whose blade is lifted up against the thick trees.

Thei settiden her signes, `ethir baneris, signes on the hiyeste, as in the outgoing; and thei knewen not.

6 Your doors are broken down with hammers and iron blades.

As in a wode of trees thei heweden doun with axis the yatis therof in to it silf; thei castiden doun it with an ax, and a brood fallinge ax.

7 They have put on fire your holy place; they have made the place of your name unclean, pulling it down to the earth.

Thei brenten with fier thi seyntuarie; thei defouliden the tabernacle of thi name in erthe.

8 They have said in their hearts, Let us put an end to them all together; they have given over to the fire all God's places of worship in the land.

The kynrede of hem seiden togidere in her herte; Make we alle the feest daies of God to ceesse fro the erthe.

9 We do not see our signs: there is no longer any prophet, or anyone among us to say how long.

We han not seyn oure signes, now `no profete is; and he schal no more knowe vs.

10 O God, how long will those who are against us say cruel things? will the hater go on looking down on your name for ever?

God, hou long schal the enemye seie dispit? the aduersarie territh to ire thi name in to the ende.

11 Why are you keeping back your hand, and covering your right hand in your robe?

Whi turnest thou awei thin hoond, and `to drawe out thi riythond fro the myddis of thi bosum, til in to the ende?

12 For from the past God is my King, working salvation in the earth.

Forsothe God oure kyng bifore worldis; wrouyte heelthe in the mydis of erthe.

13 The sea was parted in two by your strength; the heads of the great sea-beasts were broken.

Thou madist sad the see bi thi vertu; thou hast troblid the heedis of dragouns in watris.

14 The heads of the great snake were crushed by you; you gave them as food to the fishes of the sea.

Thou hast broke the heedis of `the dragoun; thou hast youe hym to mete to the puplis of Ethiopiens.

15 You made valleys for fountains and springs; you made the ever-flowing rivers dry.

Thou hast broke wellis, and strondis; thou madist drie the flodis of Ethan.

16 The day is yours and the night is yours: you made the light and the sun.

The dai is thin, and the niyt is thin; thou madist the moreutid and the sunne.

17 By you all the limits of the earth were fixed; you have made summer and winter.

Thou madist alle the endis of erthe; somer and veer tyme, thou fourmedist tho.

18 Keep this in mind, O Lord, that your haters have said cruel things, and that your name has been looked down on by a people of evil behaviour.

Be thou myndeful of this thing, the enemye hath seid schenschip to the Lord; and the vnwijs puple hath excitid to ire thi name.

19 O give not the soul of your dove to the hawk; let not the life of the poor go out of your memory for ever.

Bitake thou not to beestis men knoulechenge to thee; and foryete thou not in to the ende the soulis of thi pore men.

20 Keep in mind your undertaking; for the dark places of the earth are full of pride and cruel acts.

Biholde in to thi testament; for thei that ben maad derk of erthe, ben fillid with the housis of wickidnessis.

21 O let not the crushed be turned back in shame; let the low man and the poor give praise to your name.

A meke man be not turned awei maad aschamed; a pore man and nedi schulen herie thi name.

22 Up! O God, be the judge of your cause; keep in mind the bitter things which the man of evil behaviour says against you every day.

God, rise vp, deme thou thi cause; be thou myndeful of thin vpbreidyngis, of tho that ben al dai of the vnwise man.

23 Keep in mind the voice of your haters; the outcry of those who come against you goes up every day.

Foryete thou not the voices of thin enemyes; the pride of hem that haten thee, stieth euere.