Psalms 74

1 A Psalme to give instruction, committed to Asaph. O God, why hast thou put vs away for euer? why is thy wrath kindled against the sheepe of thy pasture?

AN INSTRUCTION OF ASAPH. Why, O God, have You cast off forever? Your anger smokes against the flock of Your pasture.

2 Thinke vpon thy Congregation, which thou hast possessed of olde, and on the rod of thine inheritance, which thou hast redeemed, and on this mount Zion, wherein thou hast dwelt.

Remember Your congregation [That] You purchased of old, You redeemed the rod of Your inheritance, This Mount Zion—You dwelt in it.

3 Lift vp thy strokes, that thou mayest for euer destroy euery enemie that doeth euill to the Sanctuarie.

Lift up Your steps to the continuous desolations, Everything the enemy did wickedly in the sanctuary.

4 Thine aduersaries roare in the middes of thy Congregation, and set vp their banners for signes.

Your adversaries have roared, In the midst of Your meeting-places, They have set their ensigns as ensigns.

5 He that lifted the axes vpon the thicke trees, was renowmed, as one, that brought a thing to perfection:

He is known as one bringing in on high Against a thicket of wood—axes.

6 But nowe they breake downe the carued worke thereof with axes and hammers.

And now they break down its engravings, Together, with axe and hatchet,

7 They haue cast thy Sanctuarie into the fire, and rased it to the grounde, and haue defiled the dwelling place of thy Name.

They have sent Your sanctuary into fire, They defiled the Dwelling Place of Your Name to the earth,

8 They saide in their hearts, Let vs destroy them altogether: they haue burnt all the Synagogues of God in the land.

They said in their hearts, “Let us oppress them together,” They burned all the meeting-places of God in the land.

9 We see not our signes: there is not one Prophet more, nor any with vs that knoweth howe long.

We have not seen our ensigns, There is no longer a prophet, Nor with us is one knowing how long.

10 O God, howe long shall the aduersarie reproche thee? shall the enemie blaspheme thy Name for euer?

Until when, O God, does an adversary reproach? Does an enemy despise Your Name forever?

11 Why withdrawest thou thine hand, euen thy right hand? drawe it out of thy bosome, and consume them.

Why do You turn back Your hand, Even Your right hand? Remove [it] from the midst of Your bosom.

12 Euen God is my King of olde, working saluation in the middes of the earth.

And God [is] my king of old, Working salvation in the midst of the earth.

13 Thou didest deuide the sea by thy power: thou brakest the heads of the dragons in the waters.

You have divided [the] sea by Your strength, You have shattered heads of dragons by the waters,

14 Thou brakest the head of Liuiathan in pieces, and gauest him to be meate for the people in wildernesse.

You have broken the heads of leviathan, You make him food for the people of desert-dwellers.

15 Thou brakest vp the fountaine and riuer: thou dryedst vp mightie riuers.

You have cleaved a fountain and a stream, You have dried up perennial flowings.

16 The day is thine, and the night is thine: thou hast prepared the light and the sunne.

The day [is] Yours, The night [is] also Yours, You have prepared a light-giver—the sun.

17 Thou hast set all the borders of the earth: thou hast made summer and winter.

You have set up all the borders of earth, Summer and winter—You have formed them.

18 Remember this, that the enemie hath reproched the Lord, and the foolish people hath blasphemed thy Name.

Remember this—an enemy reproached YHWH, And a foolish people have despised Your Name.

19 Giue not the soule of thy turtle doue vnto the beast, and forget not the Congregation of thy poore for euer.

Do not give up to a [wild] creature, The soul of Your turtle-dove, Do not forget the life of Your poor ones forever.

20 Consider thy couenant: for the darke places of the earth are full of the habitations of the cruell.

Look attentively to the covenant, For the dark places of earth, Have been full of habitations of violence.

21 Oh let not the oppressed returne ashamed, but let the poore and needie prayse thy Name.

Do not let the oppressed turn back ashamed, Let the poor and needy praise Your Name,

22 Arise, O God: mainteine thine owne cause: remember thy dayly reproche by the foolish man.

Arise, O God, plead Your plea, Remember Your reproach from a fool all the day.

23 Forget not the voyce of thine enemies: for the tumult of them, that rise against thee, ascendeth continually.

Do not forget the voice of Your adversaries, The noise of Your withstanders is going up continually!