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