Psalm 74–76

Psalm 74

Prayer for Israel

A Maskil of Asaph. ^d

¹Why have You rejected us forever, God?

Why does Your anger burn

against the sheep of Your pasture? ^e

²Remember Your congregation,

which You purchased long ago

and redeemed as the tribe for Your own possession. ^f

Remember Mount Zion where You dwell. ^g

³Make Your way ^hto the everlasting ruins,

to all that the enemy has destroyed in the sanctuary. ⁱ

⁴Your adversaries roared in the meeting place

where You met with us. ^j

They set up their emblems as signs. ^k

⁵It was like men in a thicket of trees,

wielding axes, ^l

⁶then smashing all the carvings

with hatchets and picks. ^m

⁷They set Your sanctuary on fire;

they utterly ⁿdesecrated

the dwelling place of Your name. ^o

⁸They said in their hearts,

“Let us oppress them relentlessly.”

They burned down every place throughout the land

where God met with us. ^pq

⁹There are no signs for us to see.

There is no longer a prophet.

And none of us knows how long this will last. ^r

¹⁰God, how long will the enemy mock?

Will the foe insult Your name forever? ^s

¹¹Why do You hold back Your hand?

Stretch out ^tYour right hand and destroy them! ^u

¹²God my King is from ancient times,

performing saving acts on the earth. ^v

¹³You divided the sea with Your strength;

You smashed the heads of the sea monsters in the waters; ^w

¹⁴You crushed the heads of Leviathan;

You fed him to the creatures of the desert. ^x

¹⁵You opened up springs and streams; ^y

You dried up ever-flowing rivers. ^z

¹⁶The day is Yours, also the night;

You established the moon and the sun. ^a

¹⁷You set all the boundaries of the earth;

You made summer and winter. ^b

¹⁸Remember this: the enemy has mocked Yahweh,

and a foolish people has insulted Your name. ^c

¹⁹Do not give the life of Your dove to beasts; ^d

do not forget the lives of Your poor people forever. ^e

²⁰Consider the covenant, ^f

for the dark places of the land are full of violence. ^g

²¹Do not let the oppressed turn away in shame;

let the poor and needy praise Your name. ^h

²²Rise up, God, defend Your cause! ⁱ

Remember the insults

that fools bring against You all day long. ^j

²³Do not forget the clamor of Your adversaries,

the tumult of Your opponents that goes up constantly. ^k

Psalm 75

God Judges the Wicked

For the choir director: “Do Not Destroy.” ^lA psalm of Asaph. ^mA song.

¹We give thanks to You, God;

we give thanks to You, for Your name is near.

People tell about Your wonderful works. ⁿ

²“When I choose a time,

I will judge fairly. ^o

³When the earth and all its inhabitants shake,

I am the One who steadies its pillars. ^pSelah

⁴I say to the boastful, ‘Do not boast,’

and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horn. ^q

⁵Do not lift up your horn against heaven

or speak arrogantly.’ ” ^r

⁶Exaltation does not come

from the east, the west, or the desert,

⁷for God is the Judge:

He brings down one and exalts another. ^s

⁸For there is a cup in the Lord’s hand,

full of wine blended with spices, and He pours from it.

All the wicked of the earth will drink,

draining it to the dregs. ^t

⁹As for me, I will tell about Him forever;

I will sing praise to the God of Jacob. ^u

¹⁰“I will cut off all the horns of the wicked, ^v

but the horns of the righteous will be lifted up.” ^w

Psalm 76

God, the Powerful Judge

For the choir director: with stringed instruments. A psalm of Asaph. ^xA song.

¹God is known in Judah;

His name is great in Israel. ^y

²His tent is in Salem, ^z

His dwelling place in Zion. ^a

³There He shatters the bow’s flaming arrows,

the shield, the sword, and the weapons of war. ^bSelah

⁴You are resplendent and majestic

coming down from the mountains of prey. ^c

⁵The brave-hearted have been plundered;

they have slipped into their final sleep.

None of the warriors was able to lift a hand. ^d

⁶At Your rebuke, God of Jacob,

both chariot and horse lay still. ^e

⁷And You—You are to be feared. ^f

When You are angry,

who can stand before You? ^g

⁸From heaven You pronounced judgment.

The earth feared and grew quiet ^h

⁹when God rose up to judge

and to save all the lowly of the earth. ⁱSelah

¹⁰Even human wrath will praise You;

You will clothe Yourself

with their remaining wrath. ^jk

¹¹Make and keep your vows

to the Lord your God; ^l

let all who are around Him bring tribute

to the awe-inspiring One. ^mn

¹²He humbles the spirit of leaders;

He is feared by the kings of the earth. ^o