Psalms 74

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

[A Psalm] of instruction for Asaph. Therefore have you rejected [us], O God, for ever? [therefore] is your wrath kindled against the sheep of your pasture?

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

Remember your congregation which you have purchased from the beginning; you did ransom the rod of your inheritance; this mount Sion wherein you have lived.

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

Lift up your hands against their pride continually; [because of] all that the enemy has done wickedly in your holy places.

4 Thy enemies roar in the midst of thy congregations; they set up their banners for signs.

And they that hate you have boasted in the midst of your feast; they have set up their standards for signs,

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

ignorantly as it were in the entrance above;

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

they cut down its doors at once with axes as in a wood of trees; they have broken it down with hatchet and stone cutter.

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

They have burnt your sanctuary with fire to the ground; they have profaned the habitation of 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 have said in their heart, [even] all their kindred together, Come, let us abolish the feasts of the Lord from the earth.

9 We see not our signs: there is no more any prophet: neither is there among us any that knoweth how long.

We have not seen our signs; there is no longer a prophet; and [God] will not know us any more.

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

How long, O God, shall the enemy reproach? shall the enemy provoke your name forever?

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

Therefore turn you away your hand, and your right hand from the midst of your bosom for ever?

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

But God is our King of old; he has wrought salvation in the midst of the earth.

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

You did establish the sea, in your might, you did break to pieces the heads of the dragons in the water.

14 Thou didst break the head of leviathan in pieces, and didst give him to be food to the people inhabiting the wilderness.

You did break to pieces the heads of the dragon; you did give him [for] meat to the Ethiopian nations.

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

You did cleave fountains and torrents; you dried up mighty rivers.

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

The day is your, and the night is your; you have prepared the sun and the moon.

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

You have made all the borders of the earth; you have made summer and spring.

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

Remember this your creation: an enemy has reproached the Lord, and a foolish people has provoked your name.

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

Deliver not to the wild beasts a soul that gives praise to you: forget not for ever the souls of your poor.

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

Look upon your covenant: for the dark [places] of the earth are filled with the habitations of iniquity.

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

let not the afflicted and shamed one be rejected: the poor and needy shall praise your name.

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

Arise, O God, plead your cause: remember your reproaches that come from the foolish one all the day.

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

Forget not the voice of your suppliants: let the pride of them that hate you continually ascend before you.