Psalm 74
A maskil of Asaph.
1God, why have you turned your back on us for so long?
Why are you so angry with us? We are your very own sheep.
2Remember the nation that you chose as your own so long ago.
Remember that you set us free from slavery to be your very own people.
Remember Mount Zion, where you lived.
3Walk through this place that has been torn down beyond repair.
See how completely your enemies have destroyed the temple!
4In the place where you used to meet with us,
your enemies have shouted, “We’ve won the battle!”
They have set up their flags to show they have beaten us.
5They acted like people cutting down a forest with axes.
6They smashed all the beautiful wooden walls
with their axes and hatchets.
7They burned your temple to the ground.
They polluted the place where your Name is.
8They had said in their hearts, “We will crush them completely!”
They burned every place where you were worshiped in the land.
9We don’t get signs from God anymore.
There aren’t any prophets left.
None of us knows how long that will last.
10God, how long will your enemies make fun of you?
Will they attack you with their words forever?
11Why don’t you help us? Why do you hold back your power?
Use your strong power to destroy your enemies!
12God, you have been my king for a long time.
You are the only God who can save anyone on earth.
13You parted the waters of the Red Sea by your power.
You broke the heads of that sea monster in Egypt.
14You crushed the heads of the sea monster Leviathan.
You fed it to the creatures of the desert.
15You opened up streams and springs.
You dried up rivers that flow all year long.
16You rule over the day and the night.
You created the sun and the moon.
17You decided where the borders of the earth would be.
You made both summer and winter.
18Lord, remember how your enemies have made fun of you.
Remember how foolish people have attacked you with their words.
19Don’t hand over Israel, your dove, to those wild animals.
Don’t forget your suffering people forever.
20Honor the covenant you made with us.
Horrible things are happening in every dark corner of the land.
21Don’t let your suffering people be put to shame.
May those who are poor and needy praise you.
22God, rise up. Stand up for your cause.
Remember how foolish people make fun of you all day long.
23Pay close attention to the shouts of your enemies.
The trouble they cause never stops.
Psalm 74
A maskilTitle: Probably a literary or musical term of Asaph.
1O God, why have you rejected us forever?
Why does your anger smolder against the sheep of your pasture?
2Remember the nation you purchased long ago,
the people of your inheritance, whom you redeemed—
Mount Zion, where you dwelt.
3Turn your steps toward these everlasting ruins,
all this destruction the enemy has brought on the sanctuary.
4Your foes roared in the place where you met with us;
they set up their standards as signs.
5They behaved like men wielding axes
to cut through a thicket of trees.
6They smashed all the carved paneling
with their axes and hatchets.
7They burned your sanctuary to the ground;
they defiled the dwelling place of your Name.
8They said in their hearts, “We will crush them completely!”
They burned every place where God was worshiped in the land.
9We are given no signs from God;
no prophets are left,
and none of us knows how long this will be.
10How long will the enemy mock you, God?
Will the foe revile your name forever?
11Why do you hold back your hand, your right hand?
Take it from the folds of your garment and destroy them!
12But God is my King from long ago;
he brings salvation on the earth.
13It was you who split open the sea by your power;
you broke the heads of the monster in the waters.
14It was you who crushed the heads of Leviathan
and gave it as food to the creatures of the desert.
15It was you who opened up springs and streams;
you dried up the ever-flowing rivers.
16The day is yours, and yours also the night;
you established the sun and moon.
17It was you who set all the boundaries of the earth;
you made both summer and winter.
18Remember how the enemy has mocked you, Lord,
how foolish people have reviled your name.
19Do not hand over the life of your dove to wild beasts;
do not forget the lives of your afflicted people forever.
20Have regard for your covenant,
because haunts of violence fill the dark places of the land.
21Do not let the oppressed retreat in disgrace;
may the poor and needy praise your name.
22Rise up, O God, and defend your cause;
remember how fools mock you all day long.
23Do not ignore the clamor of your adversaries,
the uproar of your enemies, which rises continually.
