An Appeal against the Devastation of the Land by the Enemy.

A [a]Maskil of Asaph.

74 O God, why have You (A)rejected us forever?
Why does Your anger (B)smoke against the (C)sheep of Your [b]pasture?
Remember Your congregation, which You have (D)purchased of old,
Which You have (E)redeemed to be the (F)tribe of Your inheritance;
And this Mount (G)Zion, where You have dwelt.
[c]Turn Your footsteps toward the (H)perpetual ruins;
The enemy (I)has damaged everything within the sanctuary.
Your adversaries have (J)roared in the midst of Your meeting place;
They have set up their (K)own [d]standards (L)for signs.
It seems as if one had lifted up
His [e](M)axe in a [f]forest of trees.
And now [g]all its (N)carved work
They smash with hatchet and [h]hammers.
They have [i](O)burned Your sanctuary [j]to the ground;
They have (P)defiled the dwelling place of Your name.
They (Q)said in their heart, “Let us [k]completely [l]subdue them.”
They have burned all the meeting places of God in the land.
We do not see our (R)signs;
There is (S)no longer any prophet,
Nor is there any among us who knows (T)how long.
10 How long, O God, will the adversary (U)revile,
And the enemy (V)spurn Your name forever?
11 Why (W)do You withdraw Your hand, even Your right hand?
From within Your bosom, (X)destroy them!

12 Yet God is (Y)my king from of old,
Who works deeds of deliverance in the midst of the earth.
13 [m]You (Z)divided the sea by Your strength;
[n]You (AA)broke the heads of the (AB)sea monsters [o]in the waters.
14 [p]You crushed the heads of [q](AC)Leviathan;
[r]You gave him as food for the [s]creatures (AD)of the wilderness.
15 [t]You (AE)broke open springs and torrents;
[u]You (AF)dried up ever-flowing streams.
16 Yours is the day, Yours also is the night;
[v]You have (AG)prepared the [w]light and the sun.
17 [x]You have (AH)established all the boundaries of the earth;
[y]You have [z]made (AI)summer and winter.

18 Remember this, [aa]O Lord, that the enemy has (AJ)reviled,
And a (AK)foolish people has spurned Your name.
19 Do not deliver the soul of Your (AL)turtledove to the wild beast;
(AM)Do not forget the life of Your afflicted forever.
20 Consider the (AN)covenant;
For the (AO)dark places of the land are full of the habitations of violence.
21 Let not the (AP)oppressed return dishonored;
Let the (AQ)afflicted and needy praise Your name.

22 Arise, O God, and (AR)plead Your own cause;
Remember [ab]how the (AS)foolish man reproaches You all day long.
23 Do not forget the voice of Your (AT)adversaries,
The (AU)uproar of those who rise against You which ascends continually.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 74:1 Possibly, Contemplative, or Didactic, or Skillful Psalm
  2. Psalm 74:1 Or pasturing
  3. Psalm 74:3 Lit Lift up
  4. Psalm 74:4 Lit signs
  5. Psalm 74:5 Lit axes
  6. Psalm 74:5 Lit thicket
  7. Psalm 74:6 Lit altogether
  8. Psalm 74:6 Or axes
  9. Psalm 74:7 Lit set on fire
  10. Psalm 74:7 Or To the ground they...
  11. Psalm 74:8 Lit altogether
  12. Psalm 74:8 Or oppress
  13. Psalm 74:13 Or You Yourself
  14. Psalm 74:13 Or You Yourself
  15. Psalm 74:13 Lit on
  16. Psalm 74:14 Or You Yourself
  17. Psalm 74:14 Or sea monster
  18. Psalm 74:14 Or You Yourself
  19. Psalm 74:14 Lit people
  20. Psalm 74:15 Or You Yourself
  21. Psalm 74:15 Or You Yourself
  22. Psalm 74:16 Or You Yourself
  23. Psalm 74:16 Or luminary
  24. Psalm 74:17 Or You Yourself
  25. Psalm 74:17 Or You Yourself
  26. Psalm 74:17 Or formed
  27. Psalm 74:18 Or that the enemy has reviled the Lord
  28. Psalm 74:22 Lit Your reproach from the foolish man

Psalm 74

A maskil[a] of Asaph.

O God, why have you rejected(A) us forever?(B)
    Why does your anger smolder against the sheep of your pasture?(C)
Remember the nation you purchased(D) long ago,(E)
    the people of your inheritance,(F) whom you redeemed(G)
    Mount Zion,(H) where you dwelt.(I)
Turn your steps toward these everlasting ruins,(J)
    all this destruction the enemy has brought on the sanctuary.

Your foes roared(K) in the place where you met with us;
    they set up their standards(L) as signs.
They behaved like men wielding axes
    to cut through a thicket of trees.(M)
They smashed all the carved(N) paneling
    with their axes and hatchets.
They burned your sanctuary to the ground;
    they defiled(O) the dwelling place(P) of your Name.(Q)
They said in their hearts, “We will crush(R) them completely!”
    They burned(S) every place where God was worshiped in the land.

We are given no signs from God;(T)
    no prophets(U) are left,
    and none of us knows how long this will be.
10 How long(V) will the enemy mock(W) you, God?
    Will the foe revile(X) your name forever?
11 Why do you hold back your hand, your right hand?(Y)
    Take it from the folds of your garment(Z) and destroy them!

12 But God is my King(AA) from long ago;
    he brings salvation(AB) on the earth.

13 It was you who split open the sea(AC) by your power;
    you broke the heads of the monster(AD) in the waters.
14 It was you who crushed the heads of Leviathan(AE)
    and gave it as food to the creatures of the desert.(AF)
15 It was you who opened up springs(AG) and streams;
    you dried up(AH) the ever-flowing rivers.
16 The day is yours, and yours also the night;
    you established the sun and moon.(AI)
17 It was you who set all the boundaries(AJ) of the earth;
    you made both summer and winter.(AK)

18 Remember how the enemy has mocked you, Lord,
    how foolish people(AL) have reviled your name.
19 Do not hand over the life of your dove(AM) to wild beasts;
    do not forget the lives of your afflicted(AN) people forever.
20 Have regard for your covenant,(AO)
    because haunts of violence fill the dark places(AP) of the land.
21 Do not let the oppressed(AQ) retreat in disgrace;
    may the poor and needy(AR) praise your name.
22 Rise up,(AS) O God, and defend your cause;
    remember how fools(AT) mock you all day long.
23 Do not ignore the clamor(AU) of your adversaries,(AV)
    the uproar(AW) of your enemies,(AX) which rises continually.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 74:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term