Chapter 74

Maschil ^{7919 56} of Asaph.
O God, why hast thou cast [us] off¹ for ever? [why] doth thine anger smoke⁴ against the sheep of thy pasture?

Remember³ thy congregation, [which] thou hast purchased¹ of old; the rod of thine inheritance, [which] thou hast redeemed;¹ this mount Zion, wherein thou hast dwelt.¹

Lift up⁵⁴ thy feet unto the perpetual desolations; [even] all [that] the enemy⁶ hath done wickedly⁵² in the sanctuary.

Thine enemies⁶ roar¹ in the midst of thy congregations; they set up¹ their ensigns [for] signs.

[A man] was famous¹¹ according as he had lifted⁵⁶ up axes upon the thick trees.

But now they break down⁴ the carved work thereof at once with axes and hammers.

They have cast¹⁴ fire into thy sanctuary, they have defiled¹⁴ [by casting down] the dwelling place of thy name to the ground.

They said¹ in their hearts, Let us destroy⁴ them together: they have burned up¹ all the synagogues of God in the land.

We see¹ not our signs: [there is] no more any prophet: neither [is there] among us any that knoweth⁶ how long.

O God, how long shall the adversary reproach?¹⁷ shall the enemy⁶ blaspheme¹⁷ thy name for ever?

Why withdrawest⁵⁵ thou thy hand, even thy right hand? pluck¹⁶ [it] out of thy bosom. ²⁴³⁶

For God [is] my King of old, working⁶ salvation in the midst of the earth.

Thou didst divide²² the sea by thy strength: thou brakest¹⁴ the heads of the dragons in the waters.

Thou brakest¹⁴ the heads of leviathan in pieces, [and] gavest⁴ him [to be] meat to the people inhabiting the wilderness.

Thou didst cleave¹ the fountain and the flood: thou driedst up⁵² mighty rivers.

The day [is] thine, the night also [is] thine: thou hast prepared⁵² the light and the sun.

Thou hast set⁵² all the borders of the earth: thou hast made¹ summer and winter.

Remember³ this, [that] the enemy⁶ hath reproached,¹⁴ O LORD, and [that] the foolish people have blasphemed¹⁴ thy name.

O deliver⁴ not the soul of thy turtledove unto the multitude [of the wicked]: forget⁴ not the congregation of thy poor for ever.

Have respect⁵⁴ unto the covenant: for the dark places of the earth are full¹ of the habitations of cruelty.

O let not the oppressed return⁴ ashamed:¹² let the poor and needy praise¹⁷ thy name.

Arise,³ O God, plead³ thine own cause: remember³ how the foolish man reproacheth thee daily.

Forget⁴ not the voice of thine enemies:⁶ the tumult of those that rise up⁵ against thee increaseth⁶ continually.