Arise, O God, Defend Your Cause

A Maskil[a] of (A)Asaph.

74 O God, why do you (B)cast us off forever?
    Why does your anger (C)smoke against (D)the sheep of your pasture?
(E)Remember your congregation, which you have (F)purchased of old,
    which you have (G)redeemed to be (H)the tribe of your heritage!
    Remember Mount Zion, (I)where you have dwelt.
Direct your steps to (J)the perpetual ruins;
    the enemy has destroyed everything in the sanctuary!

Your foes have (K)roared in the midst of your meeting place;
    (L)they set up their (M)own signs for (N)signs.
They were like those who swing (O)axes
    in a forest of trees.[b]
And all its (P)carved wood
    they broke down with hatchets and hammers.
They (Q)set your sanctuary on fire;
    they (R)profaned (S)the dwelling place of your name,
    bringing it down to the ground.
They (T)said to themselves, “We will utterly subdue them”;
    they burned all the meeting places of God in the land.

We do not see our (U)signs;
    (V)there is no longer any prophet,
    and there is none among us who knows how long.
10 How long, O God, (W)is the foe to scoff?
    Is the enemy to revile your name forever?
11 Why (X)do you hold back your hand, your right hand?
    Take it from the fold of your garment[c] and destroy them!

12 Yet (Y)God my King is from of old,
    working salvation in the midst of the earth.
13 You (Z)divided the sea by your might;
    you (AA)broke the heads of (AB)the sea monsters[d] on the waters.
14 You crushed the heads of (AC)Leviathan;
    you gave him as food for the creatures of the wilderness.
15 You (AD)split open springs and brooks;
    you (AE)dried up ever-flowing streams.
16 Yours is the day, yours also the night;
    you have established (AF)the heavenly lights and the sun.
17 You have (AG)fixed all the boundaries of the earth;
    you have made (AH)summer and winter.

18 (AI)Remember this, O Lord, how the enemy scoffs,
    and (AJ)a foolish people reviles your name.
19 Do not deliver the soul of your (AK)dove to the wild beasts;
    (AL)do not forget the life of your poor forever.

20 Have regard for (AM)the covenant,
    for (AN)the dark places of the land are full of the habitations of violence.
21 Let not (AO)the downtrodden (AP)turn back in shame;
    let (AQ)the poor and needy praise your name.

22 Arise, O God, (AR)defend your cause;
    (AS)remember how the foolish scoff at you all the day!
23 Do not forget the clamor of your foes,
    (AT)the uproar of those who rise against you, which goes up continually!

God Will Judge with Equity

To the choirmaster: according to (AU)Do Not Destroy. (AV)A Psalm of Asaph. A Song.

75 We give thanks to you, O God;
    we give thanks, for your name is (AW)near.
We[e] recount your wondrous deeds.

“At (AX)the set time that I appoint
    I will judge (AY)with equity.
When the earth (AZ)totters, and all its inhabitants,
    it is I who keep steady its (BA)pillars. Selah
I say to the boastful, ‘Do not boast,’
    and to the wicked, (BB)‘Do not lift up your horn;
do not lift up your horn on high,
    or speak with haughty neck.’”

For not from the east or from the west
    and not from the wilderness comes (BC)lifting up,
but it is (BD)God who executes judgment,
    (BE)putting down one and lifting up another.
(BF)For in the hand of the Lord there is (BG)a cup
    with foaming wine, (BH)well mixed,
and he pours out from it,
    and all the wicked of the earth
    shall (BI)drain it down to the dregs.

But I will declare it forever;
    I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.
10 (BJ)All the horns of the wicked I will cut off,
    (BK)but the horns of the righteous shall be lifted up.

Who Can Stand Before You?

To the choirmaster: with (BL)stringed instruments. A Psalm of (BM)Asaph. A Song.

76 In Judah God is (BN)known;
    his name is great in Israel.
His (BO)abode has been established in (BP)Salem,
    his (BQ)dwelling place in Zion.
There he (BR)broke the flashing arrows,
    the shield, the sword, and the weapons of war. Selah

Glorious are you, more majestic
    (BS)than the mountains full of (BT)prey.
(BU)The stouthearted were stripped of their spoil;
    (BV)they sank into sleep;
all the men of war
    were unable to use their hands.
At your rebuke, O God of Jacob,
    both (BW)rider and horse lay stunned.

(BX)But you, you are to be feared!
    Who can (BY)stand before you
    when once your anger is roused?
From the heavens you uttered judgment;
    (BZ)the earth feared and was still,
when God (CA)arose to establish judgment,
    to save all the humble of the earth. Selah

10 Surely (CB)the wrath of man shall praise you;
    the remnant[f] of wrath you will put on like a belt.
11 (CC)Make your vows to the Lord your God and perform them;
    let all around him (CD)bring gifts
    to him who (CE)is to be feared,
12 who (CF)cuts off the spirit of princes,
    who (CG)is to be feared by the kings of the earth.

In the Day of Trouble I Seek the Lord

To the choirmaster: according to (CH)Jeduthun. A Psalm of (CI)Asaph.

77 I (CJ)cry aloud to God,
    aloud to God, and he will hear me.
(CK)In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord;
    in (CL)the night my (CM)hand is stretched out without wearying;
    my soul (CN)refuses to be comforted.
When I remember God, I (CO)moan;
    when I meditate, my spirit faints. Selah

You hold my eyelids open;
    I am so (CP)troubled that I cannot speak.
I consider (CQ)the days of old,
    the years long ago.
I said,[g] “Let me remember my (CR)song in the night;
    let me (CS)meditate in my heart.”
    Then my spirit made a diligent search:
“Will the Lord (CT)spurn forever,
    and never again (CU)be favorable?
Has his steadfast love forever ceased?
    Are his (CV)promises at an end for all time?
(CW)Has God forgotten to be gracious?
    (CX)Has he in anger shut up his compassion?” Selah

10 Then I said, “I will appeal to this,
    to the years of the (CY)right hand of the Most High.”[h]

11 I will remember the deeds of the Lord;
    yes, I will (CZ)remember your wonders of old.
12 I will ponder all your (DA)work,
    and meditate on your (DB)mighty deeds.
13 Your way, O God, is (DC)holy.
    (DD)What god is great like our God?
14 You are the God who (DE)works wonders;
    you have (DF)made known your might among the peoples.
15 You (DG)with your arm redeemed your people,
    the children of Jacob and Joseph. Selah

16 When (DH)the waters saw you, O God,
    when the waters saw you, they were afraid;
    indeed, the deep trembled.
17 The clouds poured out water;
    the skies (DI)gave forth thunder;
    your (DJ)arrows flashed on every side.
18 (DK)The crash of your thunder was in the whirlwind;
    (DL)your lightnings lighted up the world;
    the earth (DM)trembled and shook.
19 Your (DN)way was through the sea,
    your path through the great waters;
    yet your footprints (DO)were unseen.[i]
20 You (DP)led your people like a flock
    by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 74:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
  2. Psalm 74:5 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
  3. Psalm 74:11 Hebrew from your bosom
  4. Psalm 74:13 Or the great sea creatures
  5. Psalm 75:1 Hebrew They
  6. Psalm 76:10 Or extremity
  7. Psalm 77:6 Hebrew lacks I said
  8. Psalm 77:10 Or This is my grief: that the right hand of the Most High has changed
  9. Psalm 77:19 Hebrew unknown

Bible Gateway Recommends

ESV Preaching Bible--soft leather-look over board, deep brown
ESV Preaching Bible--soft leather-look over board, deep brown
Retail: $59.99
Our Price: $18.49
Save: $41.50 (69%)
5.0 of 5.0 stars
ESV Study Bible, Burgundy Genuine Leather
ESV Study Bible, Burgundy Genuine Leather
Retail: $114.99
Our Price: $59.99
Save: $55.00 (48%)
4.5 of 5.0 stars
ESV Economy Bible, Softcover
ESV Economy Bible, Softcover
Retail: $4.99
Our Price: $2.69
Save: $2.30 (46%)
4.0 of 5.0 stars
ESV Study Bible, Black Genuine Leather
ESV Study Bible, Black Genuine Leather
Retail: $114.99
Our Price: $59.99
Save: $55.00 (48%)
4.5 of 5.0 stars
ESV Student Study Bible, TruTone, Plum
ESV Student Study Bible, TruTone, Plum
Retail: $44.99
Our Price: $20.99
Save: $24.00 (53%)
4.5 of 5.0 stars