Psalms 74
74
A maskil of Asaph.
1God, why have you turned away from us for so long?
Why are you still angry with us, your own flock?
2Remember the people you bought so long ago.
You saved us, and we belong to you.
And remember Mount Zion, the place where you lived.
3God, come walk through these ancient ruins.
Come back to the Holy Place that the enemy destroyed.
4The enemy shouted their war cries in the Temple.
They put up their flags there to show they had won the war.
5Their soldiers attacked the doors,
like workmen chopping down trees.
6Using axes and hatchets,
they smashed the carved panels inside.
7They burned down your Holy Place.
It was built to honor your name,
but they pulled it down to the ground.
8The enemy decided to crush us completely.
They burned every holy place#74:8 holy place Or “El meeting place.” This means every place where people went to meet with God. in the country.
9We do not see any of our signs.#74:9 signs These were probably signal fires that people burned as a way of passing messages from one town to the next. In war, this was a way people showed other towns that the enemy had not yet destroyed their own town.
There are no more prophets.
And no one knows how long this will last.
10God, how much longer will the enemy make fun of us?
Will you let them insult your name forever?
11Why won’t you help us?
Use your power to defeat our enemies!
12God, you have been our King for a long time.
You have saved us many times on this earth.
13With your great power you split open the sea
and broke the heads of the sea monster.
14Yes, you smashed the heads of Leviathan#74:13-14 sea monster … Leviathan These were creatures from ancient stories. People believed that they kept the world from being a safe, orderly place. So this verse means that God controls every part of the world and everything in it.
and left his body for animals to eat.
15You make the springs and rivers flow,
and you make the rivers dry up.
16You control the day and the night.
You made the sun and the moon.
17You set the limits for everything on earth.
And you created summer and winter.
18Lord, remember, the enemy insulted you!
Those foolish people hate your name!
19Don’t give us like a helpless dove to those wild animals.
Never forget your poor, suffering people.
20Remember the agreement you gave us,
because violence fills every dark place in this land.
21Your people were treated badly.
Don’t let them be hurt anymore.
Let your poor, helpless people praise you.
22God, get up and defend yourself!
Remember, those fools challenged you.
23Don’t forget the shouts of your enemies.
They insulted you again and again.
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© 1987, 2004 Bible League International
Psalms 74
74
Psalm 74
A maskil#Title: Probably a literary or musical term of Asaph.
1O God, why have you rejected us forever?
Why does your anger smolder against the sheep of your pasture?
2Remember the nation you purchased long ago,
the people of your inheritance, whom you redeemed—
Mount Zion, where you dwelt.
3Turn your steps toward these everlasting ruins,
all this destruction the enemy has brought on the sanctuary.
4Your foes roared in the place where you met with us;
they set up their standards as signs.
5They behaved like men wielding axes
to cut through a thicket of trees.
6They smashed all the carved paneling
with their axes and hatchets.
7They burned your sanctuary to the ground;
they defiled the dwelling place of your Name.
8They said in their hearts, “We will crush them completely!”
They burned every place where God was worshiped in the land.
9We are given no signs from God;
no prophets are left,
and none of us knows how long this will be.
10How long will the enemy mock you, God?
Will the foe revile your name forever?
11Why do you hold back your hand, your right hand?
Take it from the folds of your garment and destroy them!
12But God is my King from long ago;
he brings salvation on the earth.
13It was you who split open the sea by your power;
you broke the heads of the monster in the waters.
14It was you who crushed the heads of Leviathan
and gave it as food to the creatures of the desert.
15It was you who opened up springs and streams;
you dried up the ever-flowing rivers.
16The day is yours, and yours also the night;
you established the sun and moon.
17It was you who set all the boundaries of the earth;
you made both summer and winter.
18Remember how the enemy has mocked you, Lord,
how foolish people have reviled your name.
19Do not hand over the life of your dove to wild beasts;
do not forget the lives of your afflicted people forever.
20Have regard for your covenant,
because haunts of violence fill the dark places of the land.
21Do not let the oppressed retreat in disgrace;
may the poor and needy praise your name.
22Rise up, O God, and defend your cause;
remember how fools mock you all day long.
23Do not ignore the clamor of your adversaries,
the uproar of your enemies, which rises continually.
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