Psalm 74–76

Psalm 74

A psalm of Asaph.

¹O God, why have you rejected us so long?

Why is your anger so intense against the sheep of your own pasture?

²Remember that we are the people you chose long ago,

the tribe you redeemed as your own special possession!

And remember Jerusalem, your home here on earth.

³Walk through the awful ruins of the city;

see how the enemy has destroyed your sanctuary.

⁴There your enemies shouted their victorious battle cries;

there they set up their battle standards.

⁵They swung their axes

like woodcutters in a forest.

⁶With axes and picks,

they smashed the carved paneling.

⁷They burned your sanctuary to the ground.

They defiled the place that bears your name.

⁸Then they thought, “Let’s destroy everything!”

So they burned down all the places where God was worshiped.

⁹We no longer see your miraculous signs.

All the prophets are gone,

and no one can tell us when it will end.

¹⁰How long, O God, will you allow our enemies to insult you?

Will you let them dishonor your name forever?

¹¹Why do you hold back your strong right hand?

Unleash your powerful fist and destroy them.

¹²You, O God, are my king from ages past,

bringing salvation to the earth.

¹³You split the sea by your strength

and smashed the heads of the sea monsters.

¹⁴You crushed the heads of Leviathan

and let the desert animals eat him.

¹⁵You caused the springs and streams to gush forth,

and you dried up rivers that never run dry.

¹⁶Both day and night belong to you;

you made the starlight and the sun.

¹⁷You set the boundaries of the earth,

and you made both summer and winter.

¹⁸See how these enemies insult you, Lord.

A foolish nation has dishonored your name.

¹⁹Don’t let these wild beasts destroy your turtledoves.

Don’t forget your suffering people forever.

²⁰Remember your covenant promises,

for the land is full of darkness and violence!

²¹Don’t let the downtrodden be humiliated again.

Instead, let the poor and needy praise your name.

²²Arise, O God, and defend your cause.

Remember how these fools insult you all day long.

²³Don’t overlook what your enemies have said

or their growing uproar.

Psalm 75

For the choir director: A psalm of Asaph. A song to be sung to the tune “Do Not Destroy!”

¹We thank you, O God!

We give thanks because you are near.

People everywhere tell of your wonderful deeds.

²God says, “At the time I have planned,

I will bring justice against the wicked.

³When the earth quakes and its people live in turmoil,

I am the one who keeps its foundations firm.

Interlude

⁴“I warned the proud, ‘Stop your boasting!’

I told the wicked, ‘Don’t raise your fists!

⁵Don’t raise your fists in defiance at the heavens

or speak with such arrogance.’ ”

⁶For no one on earth—from east or west,

or even from the wilderness—

should raise a defiant fist.

⁷It is God alone who judges;

he decides who will rise and who will fall.

⁸For the Lord holds a cup in his hand

that is full of foaming wine mixed with spices.

He pours out the wine in judgment,

and all the wicked must drink it,

draining it to the dregs.

⁹But as for me, I will always proclaim what God has done;

I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.

¹⁰For God says, “I will break the strength of the wicked,

but I will increase the power of the godly.”

Psalm 76

For the choir director: A psalm of Asaph. A song to be accompanied by stringed instruments.

¹God is honored in Judah;

his name is great in Israel.

²Jerusalem is where he lives;

Mount Zion is his home.

³There he has broken the fiery arrows of the enemy,

the shields and swords and weapons of war.

Interlude

⁴You are glorious and more majestic

than the everlasting mountains.

⁵Our boldest enemies have been plundered.

They lie before us in the sleep of death.

No warrior could lift a hand against us.

⁶At the blast of your breath, O God of Jacob,

their horses and chariots lay still.

⁷No wonder you are greatly feared!

Who can stand before you when your anger explodes?

⁸From heaven you sentenced your enemies;

the earth trembled and stood silent before you.

⁹You stand up to judge those who do evil, O God,

and to rescue the oppressed of the earth.

Interlude

¹⁰Human defiance only enhances your glory,

for you use it as a weapon.

¹¹Make vows to the Lord your God, and keep them.

Let everyone bring tribute to the Awesome One.

¹²For he breaks the pride of princes,

and the kings of the earth fear him.