Psalms 74

1 Maschil of Asaph. O God, why hast thou cast [us] off for ever? [why] doth thine anger smoke against the sheep of thy pasture?

A psalm (maskil) of Asaph. God, why have you rejected us? Is it forever? Why does your anger burn so hot against the sheep of your own field?

2 Remember thy congregation, [which] thou hast purchased of old; the rod of thine inheritance, [which] thou hast redeemed; this mount Zion, wherein thou hast dwelt.

Remember the people you made your own long ago, the tribe you redeemed and made your own. Remember too Mount Zion, the place where you live.

3 Lift up thy feet unto the perpetual desolations; [even] all [that] the enemy hath done wickedly in the sanctuary.

Come and walk through the complete devastation. The enemy has totally destroyed your Temple.

4 Thine enemies roar in the midst of thy congregations; they set up their ensigns [for] signs.

The enemy shouted in triumph right where you met with us. There they set up their war banners as signs of their victory.

5 [A man] was famous according as he had lifted up axes upon the thick trees.

They acted like men chopping down a forest with axes.

6 But now they break down the carved work thereof at once with axes and hammers.

With axes and hammers they smashed in the carved wooden panels.

7 They have cast fire into thy sanctuary, they have defiled [by casting down] the dwelling place of thy name to the ground.

Then they set fire to your Temple, burning it to the ground. They defiled the place where you live, the place that bears your name.

8 They said in their hearts, Let us destroy them together: they have burned up all the synagogues of God in the land.

They said to themselves, “Let's destroy it all!” So they burned down every place where God was worshiped throughout 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 any signs. There are no prophets left. And no one among us knows how long this will last.

10 O God, how long shall the adversary reproach? shall the enemy blaspheme thy name for ever?

How long will the enemy ridicule you, God? Will they insult your character forever?

11 Why withdrawest thou thy hand, even thy right hand? pluck [it] out of thy bosom.

Why do you hold back from doing something? Take action and destroy them!

12 For God [is] my King of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth.

But you, God, are our king from long ago. You have saved us many times in the land.

13 Thou didst divide the sea by thy strength: thou brakest the heads of the dragons in the waters.

You were the one who split apart the sea by your strength; you broke the heads of the sea monsters.

14 Thou brakest the heads of leviathan in pieces, [and] gavest him [to be] meat to the people inhabiting the wilderness.

You were the one who crushed the heads of Leviathan, and you gave its body to the desert animals to eat.

15 Thou didst cleave the fountain and the flood: thou driedst up mighty rivers.

You were the one who made springs and rivers flow with water. You made permanent rivers dry up.

16 The day [is] thine, the night also [is] thine: thou hast prepared the light and the sun.

You created the day, and also the night; you made the moon and the sun.

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

You set the boundaries of the earth; you made summer and winter.

18 Remember this, [that] the enemy hath reproached, O LORD, and [that] the foolish people have blasphemed thy name.

So keep in mind how the enemy ridiculed you, Lord, and how irreverent people insulted your reputation.

19 O deliver not the soul of thy turtledove unto the multitude [of the wicked: ] forget not the congregation of thy poor for ever.

Don't let wild animals kill your turtledoves! Don't abandon your people forever!

20 Have respect unto the covenant: for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty.

Remember your promises in the agreement, because the land is full of dark places and violence.

21 O let not the oppressed return ashamed: let the poor and needy praise thy name.

Don't let those who suffer be mistreated again. Let the poor and needy praise you for you who are.

22 Arise, O God, plead thine own cause: remember how the foolish man reproacheth thee daily.

Stand up, God, and plead your case. Don't forget how these foolish people insulted you all the time.

23 Forget not the voice of thine enemies: the tumult of those that rise up against thee increaseth continually.

Don't ignore what your enemies have said, for their loud accusations against you are getting worse and worse!