Psalm 74
Prayer for Israel
A Maskil of Asaph. j
1 Why have you rejected us forever, God?
Why does your anger burn
against the sheep of your pasture? k
which you purchased long ago
and redeemed as the tribe for your own possession. l
Remember Mount Zion where you dwell. m
3 Make your way K to the perpetual ruins,
to all that the enemy has destroyed in the sanctuary. n
4 Your adversaries roared in the meeting place
where you met with us. L
They set up their emblems as signs. o
5 It was like men in a thicket of trees,
wielding axes, p
6 then smashing all the carvings
with hatchets and picks. q
7 They set your sanctuary on fire;
they utterly M desecrated
the dwelling place of your name. r
“Let us oppress them relentlessly.”
They burned every place throughout the land
9 There are no signs for us to see.
There is no longer a prophet.
And none of us knows how long this will last. t
10 God, how long will the enemy mock?
Will the foe insult your name forever? u
11 Why do you hold back your hand?
Stretch out O your right hand and destroy them! v
12 God my King is from ancient times,
performing saving acts on the earth. w
13 You divided the sea with your strength;
you smashed the heads of the sea monsters in the water; x
14 you crushed the heads of Leviathan;
you fed him to the creatures of the desert. y
15 You opened up springs and streams; z
you dried up ever-flowing rivers. a
16 The day is yours, also the night;
you established the moon and the sun. b
17 You set all the boundaries of the earth;
you made summer and winter. c
18 Remember this: the enemy has mocked the LORD,
and a foolish people has insulted your name. d
19 Do not give to beasts the life of your dove; P
do not forget the lives of your poor people forever. e
20 Consider the covenant, f
for the dark places of the land are full of violence. g
21 Do not let the oppressed turn away in shame;
let the poor and needy praise your name. h
22 Rise up, God, champion your cause! i
Remember the insults
that fools bring against you all day long. j
23 Do not forget the clamor of your adversaries,
the tumult of your opponents that goes up constantly. k