Psalm 74

Prayer for Israel

A * Maskil of * Asaph. d

1 Why have You rejected us forever, God?

Why does Your anger burn

against the sheep of Your pasture? e

2 Remember Your congregation,

which You purchased long ago

and redeemed as the tribe for Your own possession. f

Remember Mount * Zion where You dwell. g

3 Make Your way h to the everlasting ruins,

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

4 Your adversaries roared in the meeting place

where You met with us. j

They set up their emblems as signs. k

5 It was like men in a thicket of trees,

wielding axes, l

6 then smashing all the carvings

with hatchets and picks. m

7 They set Your sanctuary on fire;

they utterly n desecrated

the dwelling place of Your name. o

8 They said in their hearts,

“Let us oppress them relentlessly.”

They burned down every place throughout the land

where God met with us. p q

9 There are no signs for us to see.

There is no longer a prophet.

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

10 God, how long will the enemy mock?

Will the foe insult Your name forever? s

11 Why do You hold back Your hand?

Stretch out t Your right hand and destroy them! u

12 God my King is from ancient times,

performing saving acts on the earth. v

13 You divided the sea with Your strength;

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

14 You crushed the heads of * Leviathan;

You fed him to the creatures of the desert. x

15 You opened up springs and streams; y

You dried up ever-flowing rivers. z

16 The day is Yours, also the night;

You established the moon and the sun. a

17 You set all the boundaries of the earth;

You made summer and winter. b

18 Remember this: the enemy has mocked * Yahweh,

and a foolish people has insulted Your name. c

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

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

20 Consider the covenant, f

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

21 Do not let the oppressed turn away in shame;

let the poor and needy praise Your name. h

22 Rise up, God, defend Your cause! i

Remember the insults

that fools bring against You all day long. j

23 Do not forget the clamor of Your adversaries,

the tumult of Your opponents that goes up constantly. k