Psalm 74

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