Psalm 74

Maschil of Asaph.

1O God, why hast thou cast us off for ever? why doth thine anger smoke against the sheep of thy pasture?footnote a

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Why Have You Rejected Us Forever?

A Maskil of Asaph.

1Why have You rejected us forever, O God?Why does Your anger smolderagainst the sheep of Your pasture? 2Remember Your congregation,which You purchased long agoand redeemed as the tribe of Your inheritance—Mount Zion, where You dwell. 3Turn Your steps to the everlasting ruins,to everything in the sanctuary the enemy has destroyed.

4Your foes have roared within Your meeting place;they have unfurled their banners as signs, 5like men wielding axes in a thicket of trees 6and smashing all the carvings with hatchets and picks. 7They have burned Your sanctuary to the ground;they have defiled the dwelling place of Your Name.

8They said in their hearts,“We will crush them completely.”They burned down every placewhere God met us in the land. 9There are no signs for us to see.There is no longer any prophet.And none of us knows how long this will last. 10How long, O God, will the enemy taunt You?Will the foe revile Your name forever? 11Why do You withdraw Your strong right hand?Stretch it out to destroy them!footnote a

12Yet God is my King from ancient times,working salvation on the earth. 13You divided the sea by Your strength;You smashed the heads of the dragons of the sea; 14You crushed the heads of Leviathan;You fed him to the creatures of the desert. 15You broke open the fountain and the flood;You dried up the ever-flowing rivers. 16The day is Yours, and also the night;You established the moonfootnote band the sun. 17You set all the boundaries of the earth;You made the summer and winter.

18Remember how the enemy has mocked You, O LORD,how a foolish people has spurned Your name. 19Do not deliver the soul of Your dove to beasts;do not forget the lives of Your afflicted forever. 20Consider Your covenant,for haunts of violence fill the dark places of the land. 21Do not let the oppressed retreat in shame;may the poor and needy praise Your name.

22Rise up, O God; defend Your cause!Remember how the fool mocks You all day long. 23Do not disregard the clamor of Your adversaries,the uproar of Your enemies that ascends continually.