Psalms 74

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

A Possibly, Contemplative, or Didactic, or Skillful PsalmMaskil of Asaph.

1O God, why have You 1rejected us forever? Why does Your anger 2smoke against the 3sheep of Your 4pasture?2Remember Your congregation, which You have 5purchased of old, Which You have 6redeemed to be the 7tribe of Your inheritance; And this Mount 8Zion, where You have dwelt.39Turn Your footsteps toward the 10perpetual ruins; The enemy 11has damaged everything within the sanctuary.4Your adversaries have 12roared in the midst of Your meeting place; They have set up their 13own 14standards 15for signs.5It seems as if one had lifted up His 1617axe in a 18forest of trees.6And now 19all its 20carved work They smash with hatchet and 21hammers.7They have 2223burned Your sanctuary 24to the ground; They have 25defiled the dwelling place of Your name.8They 26said in their heart, “Let us 27completely 28subdue them.” They have burned all the meeting places of God in the land.9We do not see our 29signs; There is 30no longer any prophet, Nor is there any among us who knows 31how long.10How long, O God, will the adversary 32revile, And the enemy 33spurn Your name forever?11Why 34do You withdraw Your hand, even Your right hand? From within Your bosom, 35destroy them!

12Yet God is 36my king from of old, Who works deeds of deliverance in the midst of the earth.1337You 38divided the sea by Your strength; 39You 40broke the heads of the 41sea monsters 42in the waters.1443You crushed the heads of 4445Leviathan; 46You gave him as food for the 47creatures 48of the wilderness.1549You 50broke open springs and torrents; 51You 52dried up ever-flowing streams.16Yours is the day, Yours also is the night; 53You have 54prepared the 55light and the sun.1756You have 57established all the boundaries of the earth; 58You have 59made 60summer and winter.

18Remember this, 61O Lord, that the enemy has 62reviled, And a 63foolish people has spurned Your name.19Do not deliver the soul of Your 64turtledove to the wild beast; 65Do not forget the life of Your afflicted forever.20Consider the 66covenant; For the 67dark places of the land are full of the habitations of violence.21Let not the 68oppressed return dishonored; Let the 69afflicted and needy praise Your name.

22Arise, O God, and 70plead Your own cause; Remember 71how the 72foolish man reproaches You all day long.23Do not forget the voice of Your 73adversaries, The 74uproar of those who rise against You which ascends continually.