Psalms 74
1 A contemplation by Asaph. God, why have you rejected us forever? Why does your anger smoulder against the sheep of your pasture?
Maschil of Asaph. O God, why hast thou cast us off for ever? why doth thy anger smoke against the sheep of thy pasture?
2 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.
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.
3 Lift up your feet to the perpetual ruins, all the evil that the enemy has done in the sanctuary.
Lift up thy feet to the perpetual desolations; even all that the enemy hath done wickedly in the sanctuary.
4 Your adversaries have roared in the middle of your assembly. They have set up their standards as signs.
Thy enemies roar in the midst of thy congregations; they set up their banners for signs.
5 They behaved like men wielding axes, cutting through a thicket of trees.
A man was famous according as he had lifted up axes upon the thick trees.
6 Now they break all its carved work down with hatchet and hammers.
But now they break down its carved work at once with axes and hammers.
7 They have burnt your sanctuary to the ground. They have profaned the dwelling place of your Name.
They have cast fire into thy sanctuary, they have defiled by casting down the dwelling place of thy name to the ground.
8 They said in their heart, “We will crush them completely.” They have burnt up all the places in the land where God was worshipped.
They said in their hearts, Let us destroy them together: they have burned up all the synagogues of God in the land.
9 We see no miraculous signs. There is no longer any prophet, neither is there amongst us anyone who knows how long.
We see not our signs: there is no more any prophet: neither is there among us any that knoweth how long.
10 How long, God, shall the adversary reproach? Shall the enemy blaspheme your name forever?
O God, how long shall the adversary reproach? shall the enemy blaspheme thy name for ever?
11 Why do you draw back your hand, even your right hand? Take it from your chest and consume them!
Why withdrawest thou thy hand, even thy right hand? pluck it out of thy bosom.
12 Yet God is my King of old, working salvation throughout the earth.
For God is my King of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth.
13 You divided the sea by your strength. You broke the heads of the sea monsters in the waters.
Thou didst divide the sea by thy strength: thou didst break the heads of the dragons in the waters.
14 You broke the heads of Leviathan in pieces. You gave him as food to people and desert creatures.
Thou didst break the head of leviathan in pieces, and didst give him to be food to the people inhabiting the wilderness.
15 You opened up spring and stream. You dried up mighty rivers.
Thou didst cleave the fountain and the flood: thou didst dry up mighty rivers.
16 The day is yours, the night is also yours. You have prepared the light and the sun.
The day is thine, the night also is thine: thou hast prepared the light and the sun.
17 You have set all the boundaries of the earth. You have made summer and winter.
Thou hast set all the borders of the earth: thou hast made summer and winter.
18 Remember this, that the enemy has mocked you, LORD. Foolish people have blasphemed your name.
Remember this, the enemy hath reproached, O LORD, and the foolish people have blasphemed thy name.
19 Don’t deliver the soul of your dove to wild beasts. Don’t forget the life of your poor forever.
O deliver not the soul of thy turtledove to the multitude of the wicked: forget not the congregation of thy poor for ever.
20 Honour your covenant, for haunts of violence fill the dark places of the earth.
Have respect to the covenant: for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty.
21 Don’t let the oppressed return ashamed. Let the poor and needy praise your name.
O let not the oppressed return ashamed: let the poor and needy praise thy name.
22 Arise, God! Plead your own cause. Remember how the foolish man mocks you all day.
Arise, O God, plead thy own cause: remember how the foolish man reproacheth thee daily.
23 Don’t forget the voice of your adversaries. The tumult of those who rise up against you ascends continually.
Forget not the voice of thy enemies: the tumult of those that rise against thee increaseth continually.
