Psalms 74
1 Maschil of Asaph. Why, O God, hast Thou cast us off for ever? Why doth Thine anger smoke against the flock of Thy pasture?
“A psalm of Asaph.” O God! why hast thou cast us off for ever? Why doth thine anger smoke against the flock of thy pasture?
2 Remember Thy congregation, which Thou hast gotten of old, which Thou hast redeemed to be the tribe of Thine inheritance; and mount Zion, wherein Thou hast dwelt.
Remember the people which thou didst purchase of old; Thine own inheritance, which thou didst redeem; That Mount Zion, where thou once didst dwell!
3 Lift up Thy steps because of the perpetual ruins, even all the evil that the enemy hath done in the sanctuary.
Hasten thy steps to those utter desolations! Every thing in the sanctuary hath the enemy abused!
4 Thine adversaries have roared in the midst of Thy meeting-place; they have set up their own signs for signs.
Thine enemies roar in the place of thine assemblies; Their own symbols have they set up for signs.
5 It seemed as when men wield upwards axes in a thicket of trees.
They appear like those who raise the axe against a thicket;
6 And now all the carved work thereof together they strike down with hatchet and hammers.
They have broken down the carved work of thy temple with axes and hammers;
7 They have set Thy sanctuary on fire; they have profaned the dwelling-place of Thy name even to the ground.
They have cast fire into thy sanctuary; They have profaned, and cast to the ground, the dwelling-place of thy name.
8 They said in their heart: 'Let us make havoc of them altogether'; they have burned up all the meeting-places of God in the land.
They said in their hearts, “Let us destroy them all together!” They have burned all God's places of assembly in the land.
9 We see not our signs; there is no more any prophet; neither is there among us any that knoweth how long.
We no longer see our signs; There is no prophet among us, Nor any one that knoweth how long this desolation shall endure.
10 How long, O God, shall the adversary reproach? Shall the enemy blaspheme Thy name for ever?
How long, O God! shall the adversary revile? Shall the enemy blaspheme thy name for ever?
11 Why withdrawest Thou Thy hand, even Thy right hand? Draw it out of Thy bosom and consume them.
Why withdrawest thou thy hand, even thy right hand? Take it from thy bosom, and destroy!
12 Yet God is my King of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth.
Yet God was our king of old, Working salvation in the midst of the earth.
13 Thou didst break the sea in pieces by Thy strength; Thou didst shatter the heads of the sea-monsters in the waters.
Thou didst divide the sea by thy power; Thou didst crush the heads of the sea-monsters in the waters.
14 Thou didst crush the heads of leviathan, Thou gavest him to be food to the folk inhabiting the wilderness.
Thou didst break in pieces the head of the crocodile; Thou gavest him for food to the inhabitants of the desert.
15 Thou didst cleave fountain and brook; Thou driedst up ever-flowing rivers.
Thou didst cleave forth the fountain and the stream; Thou didst dry up perennial rivers.
16 Thine is the day, Thine also the night; Thou hast established luminary and sun.
Thine is the day, and thine the night; Thou didst prepare the light and the sun.
17 Thou hast set all the borders of the earth; Thou hast made summer and winter.
Thou didst establish all the boundaries of the earth; Thou didst make summer and winter.
18 Remember this, how the enemy hath reproached the LORD, and how a base people have blasphemed Thy name.
O remember that the enemy hath reviled Jehovah; That an impious people hath blasphemed thy name!
19 O deliver not the soul of Thy turtle-dove unto the wild beast; forget not the life of Thy poor for ever.
Give not up the life of thy turtle-dove to the wild beast; Forget not for ever thine afflicted people!
20 Look upon the covenant; for the dark places of the land are full of the habitations of violence.
Have regard to thy covenant! For all the dark places of the land are full of the abodes of cruelty.
21 O let not the oppressed turn back in confusion; let the poor and needy praise Thy name.
O let not the afflicted go away ashamed! Let the poor and needy praise thy name!
22 Arise, O God, plead Thine own cause; remember Thy reproach all the day at the hand of the base man.
Arise, O God! maintain thy cause! Remember how the impious revileth thee daily!
23 Forget not the voice of Thine adversaries, the tumult of those that rise up against Thee which ascendeth continually.
Forget not the clamor of thine adversaries, —The noise of thine enemies, which continually increaseth!
