Psalms 74
1 O God, why have you cast us off for ever? why does your anger smoke against the sheep of your pasture?
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?
2 Remember your congregation, which you have purchased of old; the rod of your inheritance, which you have redeemed; this mount Zion, wherein you have dwelled.
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.
3 Lift up your feet to the perpetual desolations; even all that the enemy has done wickedly in the sanctuary.
Go up and see the unending destruction; all the evil which your haters have done in the holy place;
4 Your enemies roar in the middle of your congregations; they set up their ensigns for signs.
Sending out their voices like lions among your worshippers; they have put up their signs to be seen.
5 A man was famous according as he had lifted up axes on the thick trees.
They are cutting down, like a man whose blade is lifted up against the thick trees.
6 But now they break down the carved work thereof at once with axes and hammers.
Your doors are broken down with hammers and iron blades.
7 They have cast fire into your sanctuary, they have defiled by casting down the dwelling place of your name to the ground.
They have put on fire your holy place; they have made the place of your name unclean, pulling it down to the earth.
8 They said in their hearts, Let us destroy them together: they have burned up all the synagogues of God in the land.
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.
9 We see not our signs: there is no more any prophet: neither is there among us any that knows how long.
We do not see our signs: there is no longer any prophet, or anyone among us to say how long.
10 O God, how long shall the adversary reproach? shall the enemy blaspheme your name for ever?
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?
11 Why withdraw you your hand, even your right hand? pluck it out of your bosom.
Why are you keeping back your hand, and covering your right hand in your robe?
12 For God is my King of old, working salvation in the middle of the earth.
For from the past God is my King, working salvation in the earth.
13 You did divide the sea by your strength: you brake the heads of the dragons in the waters.
The sea was parted in two by your strength; the heads of the great sea-beasts were broken.
14 You brake the heads of leviathan in pieces, and gave him to be meat to the people inhabiting the wilderness.
The heads of the great snake were crushed by you; you gave them as food to the fishes of the sea.
15 You did split the fountain and the flood: you dried up mighty rivers.
You made valleys for fountains and springs; you made the ever-flowing rivers dry.
16 The day is yours, the night also is yours: you have prepared the light and the sun.
The day is yours and the night is yours: you made the light and the sun.
17 You have set all the borders of the earth: you have made summer and winter.
By you all the limits of the earth were fixed; you have made summer and winter.
18 Remember this, that the enemy has reproached, O LORD, and that the foolish people have blasphemed your name.
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.
19 O deliver not the soul of your turtledove to the multitude of the wicked: forget not the congregation of your poor for ever.
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.
20 Have respect to the covenant: for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty.
Keep in mind your undertaking; for the dark places of the earth are full of pride and cruel acts.
21 O let not the oppressed return ashamed: let the poor and needy praise your name.
O let not the crushed be turned back in shame; let the low man and the poor give praise to your name.
22 Arise, O God, plead your own cause: remember how the foolish man reproaches you daily.
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.
23 Forget not the voice of your enemies: the tumult of those that rise up against you increases continually.
Keep in mind the voice of your haters; the outcry of those who come against you goes up every day.
