Psalm 74–76

A Nation in Trouble Prays

A maskil of Asaph.

74God, why have you rejected us for so long?

Why are you angry with us, the sheep of your pasture?

²Remember the people you bought long ago.

You saved us, and we are your very own.

After all, you live on Mount Zion.

³Make your way through these old ruins;

the enemy wrecked everything in the Temple.

⁴Those who were against you shouted in your meeting place

and raised their flags there.

⁵They came with axes raised

as if to cut down a forest of trees.

⁶They smashed the carved panels

with their axes and hatchets.

⁷They burned your Temple to the ground;

they have made the place where you live unclean.

⁸They thought, “We will completely crush them!”

They burned every place where God was worshiped in the land.

⁹We do not see any signs.

There are no more prophets,

and no one knows how long this will last.

¹⁰God, how much longer will the enemy make fun of you?

Will they insult you forever?

¹¹Why do you hold back your power?

Bring your power out in the open and destroy them!

¹²God, you have been our king for a long time.

You bring salvation to the earth.

¹³You split open the sea by your power

and broke the heads of the sea monster.

¹⁴You smashed the heads of the monster Leviathan

and gave it to the desert creatures as food.

¹⁵You opened up the springs and streams

and made the flowing rivers run dry.

¹⁶Both the day and the night are yours;

you made the sun and the moon.

¹⁷You set all the limits on the earth;

you created summer and winter.

¹⁸Lord, remember how the enemy insulted you.

Remember how those foolish people made fun of you.

¹⁹Do not give us, your doves, to those wild animals.

Never forget your poor people.

²⁰Remember the agreement you made with us,

because violence fills every dark corner of this land.

²¹Do not let your suffering people be disgraced.

Let the poor and helpless praise you.

²²God, arise and defend yourself.

Remember the insults that come from those foolish people all day long.

²³Don’t forget what your enemies said;

don’t forget their roar as they rise against you always.

God the Judge

For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A psalm of Asaph. A song.

75God, we thank you;

we thank you because you are near.

We tell about the miracles you do.

²You say, “I set the time for trial,

and I will judge fairly.

³The earth with all its people may shake,

but I am the one who holds it steady.

Selah

⁴I say to those who are proud, ‘Don’t brag,’

and to the wicked, ‘Don’t show your power.

⁵Don’t try to use your power against heaven.

Don’t be stubborn.’ ”

⁶No one from the east or the west

or the desert can judge you.

⁷God is the judge;

he judges one person as guilty and another as innocent.

⁸The Lord holds a cup of anger in his hand;

it is full of wine mixed with spices.

He pours it out even to the last drop,

and the wicked drink it all.

⁹I will tell about this forever;

I will sing praise to the God of Jacob.

¹⁰He will take all power away from the wicked,

but the power of good people will grow.

The God Who Always Wins

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm of Asaph. A song.

76People in Judah know God;

his fame is great in Israel.

²His Tent is in Jerusalem;

his home is on Mount Zion.

³There God broke the flaming arrows,

the shields, the swords, and the weapons of war.

Selah

⁴God, how wonderful you are!

You are more splendid than the hills full of animals.

⁵The brave soldiers were stripped

as they lay asleep in death.

Not one warrior

had the strength to stop it.

⁶God of Jacob, when you spoke strongly,

horses and riders fell dead.

⁷You are feared;

no one can stand against you when you are angry.

⁸From heaven you gave the decision,

and the earth was afraid and silent.

⁹God, you stood up to judge

and to save the needy people of the earth.

Selah

¹⁰People praise you for your anger against evil.

Those who live through your anger are stopped from doing more evil.

¹¹Make and keep your promises to the Lord your God.

From all around, gifts should come to the God we worship.

¹²God breaks the spirits of great leaders;

the kings on earth fear him.