Psalms 74

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

[A contemplation by Asaph.] God, why have you rejected us forever? Why does your anger smolder against the sheep of your pasture?

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

Remember your congregation, which you purchased of old, which you have redeemed to be the tribe of your inheritance; Mount Zion, in which you have lived.

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

Lift up your feet to the perpetual ruins, all the evil that the enemy has done in the sanctuary.

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

Your adversaries have roared in the midst of your assembly. They have set up their standards as signs.

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

They behaved like men wielding axes, cutting through a thicket of trees.

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

Now they break all its carved work down with hatchet and hammers.

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

They have burned your sanctuary to the ground. They have profaned the dwelling place of your Name.

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

They said in their heart, "We will crush them completely." They have burned up all the places in the land where God was worshiped.

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

We see no miraculous signs. There is no longer any prophet, neither is there among us anyone who knows how long.

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

How long, God, shall the enemy mock? Shall the enemy blaspheme your name forever?

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

Why do you draw back your hand, even your right hand? Take it out of your pocket and consume them.

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

Yet God is my King from long ago, working salvation in the midst of the earth.

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

You divided the sea by your strength. You broke the heads of the sea monsters in the waters.

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

You broke the heads of Leviathan in pieces. You gave him as food to people and desert creatures.

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

You opened up spring and stream. You dried up mighty rivers.

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

The day is yours, the night is also yours. You have prepared the light and the sun.

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

You have set all the boundaries of the earth. You have made summer and winter.

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

Remember this, that the enemy has mocked you, Jehovah. Foolish people have blasphemed your name.

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

Do not deliver the soul of your dove to wild beasts. Do not forget the life of your poor forever.

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

Honor your covenant, for haunts of violence fill the dark places of the earth.

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

Do not let the oppressed return ashamed. Let the poor and needy praise your name.

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

Arise, God. Plead your own cause. Remember how the foolish man mocks you all day.

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

Do not forget the voice of your adversaries. The tumult of those who rise up against you ascends continually.