74:1 [A maskil* of Asaph.] O God, why have you rejected us forever? Why does your anger smolder against the sheep of your pasture? / *Title: Probably a literary or musical term
74:2 Remember the nation you purchased long ago, the people of your inheritance, whom you redeemed - Mount Zion, where you dwelt.
74:3 Turn your steps toward these everlasting ruins, all this destruction the enemy has brought on the sanctuary.
74:4 Your foes roared in the place where you met with us; they set up their standards as signs.
74:5 They behaved like men wielding axes to cut through a thicket of trees.
74:6 They smashed all the carved paneling with their axes and hatchets.
74:7 They burned your sanctuary to the ground; they defiled the dwelling place of your Name.
74:8 They said in their hearts, “We will crush them completely!” They burned every place where God was worshiped in the land.
74:9 We are given no signs from God; no prophets are left, and none of us knows how long this will be.
74:10 How long will the enemy mock you, God? Will the foe revile your name forever?
74:11 Why do you hold back your hand, your right hand? Take it from the folds of your garment and destroy them!
74:12 But God is my King from long ago; he brings salvation on the earth.
74:13 It was you who split open the sea by your power; you broke the heads of the monster in the waters.
74:14 It was you who crushed the heads of Leviathan and gave it as food to the creatures of the desert.
74:15 It was you who opened up springs and streams; you dried up the ever-flowing rivers.
74:16 The day is yours, and yours also the night; you established the sun and moon.
74:17 It was you who set all the boundaries of the earth; you made both summer and winter.
74:18 Remember how the enemy has mocked you, Lord, how foolish people have reviled your name.
74:19 Do not hand over the life of your dove to wild beasts; do not forget the lives of your afflicted people forever.
74:20 Have regard for your covenant, because haunts of violence fill the dark places of the land.
74:21 Do not let the oppressed retreat in disgrace; may the poor and needy praise your name.
74:22 Rise up, O God, and defend your cause; remember how fools mock you all day long.
74:23 Do not ignore the clamor of your adversaries, the uproar of your enemies, which rises continually.