A well-written song 2 by Asaph.
74:1 Why, O God, have you permanently rejected us? 3
Why does your anger burn 4 against the sheep of your pasture?
74:2 Remember your people 5 whom you acquired in ancient times,
whom you rescued 6 so they could be your very own nation, 7
as well as Mount Zion, where you dwell!
74:3 Hurry and look 8 at the permanent ruins,
and all the damage the enemy has done to the temple! 9
74:4 Your enemies roar 10 in the middle of your sanctuary; 11
they set up their battle flags. 12
74:5 They invade like lumberjacks
swinging their axes in a thick forest. 13
74:6 And now 14 they are tearing down 15 all its engravings 16
with axes 17 and crowbars. 18
74:7 They set your sanctuary on fire;
they desecrate your dwelling place by knocking it to the ground. 19
74:8 They say to themselves, 20
“We will oppress all of them.” 21
They burn down all the places where people worship God in the land. 22
74:9 We do not see any signs of God’s presence; 23
there are no longer any prophets 24
and we have no one to tell us how long this will last. 25
74:10 How long, O God, will the adversary hurl insults?
Will the enemy blaspheme your name forever?
74:11 Why do you remain inactive?
Intervene and destroy him! 26
74:12 But God has been my 27 king from ancient times,
performing acts of deliverance on the earth. 28
74:13 You destroyed 29 the sea by your strength;
you shattered the heads of the sea monster 30 in the water.
74:14 You crushed the heads of Leviathan; 31
you fed 32 him to the people who live along the coast. 33
74:15 You broke open the spring and the stream; 34
you dried up perpetually flowing rivers. 35
74:16 You established the cycle of day and night; 36
you put the moon 37 and sun in place. 38
74:17 You set up all the boundaries 39 of the earth;
you created the cycle of summer and winter. 40
74:18 Remember how 41 the enemy hurls insults, O Lord, 42
and how a foolish nation blasphemes your name!
74:19 Do not hand the life of your dove 43 over to a wild animal!
Do not continue to disregard 44 the lives of your oppressed people!
74:20 Remember your covenant promises, 45
for the dark regions of the earth are full of places where violence rules. 46
74:21 Do not let the afflicted be turned back in shame!
Let the oppressed and poor praise your name! 47
74:22 Rise up, O God! Defend your honor! 48
Remember how fools insult you all day long! 49
74:23 Do not disregard 50 what your enemies say, 51
or the unceasing shouts of those who defy you. 52