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Psalm 74
Good News Translation

A Prayer for National Deliverance[a]

74 Why have you abandoned us like this, O God?
    Will you be angry with your own people forever?
2 Remember your people, whom you chose for yourself long ago,
    whom you brought out of slavery to be your own tribe.
    Remember Mount Zion, where once you lived.
3 Walk over these total ruins;
    our enemies have destroyed everything in the Temple.

4 Your enemies have shouted in triumph in your Temple;
    they have placed their flags there as signs of victory.
5 They looked like woodsmen
    cutting down trees with their axes.[b]
6 They smashed all the wooden panels
    with their axes and sledge hammers.
7 They wrecked your Temple and set it on fire;
    they desecrated the place where you are worshiped.
8 They wanted to crush us completely;
    they burned down every holy place in the land.

9 All our sacred symbols are gone;
    there are no prophets left,
    and no one knows how long this will last.
10 How long, O God, will our enemies laugh at you?
    Will they insult your name forever?
11 Why have you refused to help us?
    Why do you keep your hands behind you?[c]

12 But you have been our king from the beginning, O God;
    you have saved us many times.
13 (A)With your mighty strength you divided the sea
    and smashed the heads of the sea monsters;
14 (B)you crushed the heads of the monster Leviathan[d]
    and fed his body to desert animals.[e]
15 You made springs and fountains flow;
    you dried up large rivers.
16 You created the day and the night;
    you set the sun and the moon in their places;
17 you set the limits of the earth;
    you made summer and winter.

18 But remember, O Lord, that your enemies laugh at you,
    that they are godless and despise you.
19 Don't abandon your helpless people to their cruel enemies;
    don't forget your persecuted people!

20 Remember the covenant you made with us.
    There is violence in every dark corner of the land.
21 Don't let the oppressed be put to shame;
    let those poor and needy people praise you.

22 Rouse yourself, God, and defend your cause!
    Remember that godless people laugh at you all day long.
23 Don't forget the angry shouts of your enemies,
    the continuous noise made by your foes.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 74:1 HEBREW TITLE: A poem by Asaph.
  2. Psalm 74:5 Verse 5 in Hebrew is unclear.
  3. Psalm 74:11 Probable text Why do you keep your hands behind you; Hebrew unclear.
  4. Psalm 74:14 A legendary monster which was a symbol of the forces of chaos and evil.
  5. Psalm 74:14 animals; or people.
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Psalm 74
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

Psalm 74

Plea for Help in Time of National Humiliation

A Maskil of Asaph.

1 O God, why do you cast us off forever?
    Why does your anger smoke against the sheep of your pasture?(A)
2 Remember your congregation, which you acquired long ago,
    which you redeemed to be the tribe of your heritage.
    Remember Mount Zion, where you came to dwell.(B)
3 Direct your steps to the perpetual ruins;
    the enemy has destroyed everything in the sanctuary.(C)

4 Your foes have roared within your holy place;
    they set up their emblems there.(D)
5 At the upper entrance they hacked
    the wooden trellis with axes.[a](E)
6 And then, with hatchets and hammers,
    they smashed all its carved work.
7 They set your sanctuary on fire;
    they desecrated the dwelling place of your name,
    bringing it to the ground.(F)
8 They said to themselves, “We will utterly subdue them”;
    they burned all the meeting places of God in the land.(G)

9 We do not see our emblems;
    there is no longer any prophet,
    and there is no one among us who knows how long.(H)
10 How long, O God, is the foe to scoff?
    Is the enemy to revile your name forever?(I)
11 Why do you hold back your hand;
    why do you keep your hand in[b] your bosom?(J)

12 Yet God my King is from of old,
    working salvation in the earth.(K)
13 You divided the sea by your might;
    you broke the heads of the dragons in the waters.(L)
14 You crushed the heads of Leviathan;
    you gave him as food[c] for the creatures of the wilderness.
15 You cut openings for springs and torrents;
    you dried up ever-flowing streams.(M)
16 Yours is the day, yours also the night;
    you established the luminaries[d] and the sun.(N)
17 You have fixed all the bounds of the earth;
    you made summer and winter.(O)

18 Remember this, O Lord, how the enemy scoffs,
    and an impious people reviles your name.(P)
19 Do not deliver the soul of your dove to the wild animals;
    do not forget the life of your poor forever.(Q)

20 Have regard for your[e] covenant,
    for the dark places of the land are full of the haunts of violence.(R)
21 Do not let the downtrodden be put to shame;
    let the poor and needy praise your name.(S)
22 Rise up, O God, plead your cause;
    remember how the impious scoff at you all day long.(T)
23 Do not forget the clamor of your foes,
    the uproar of your adversaries that goes up continually.(U)

Footnotes

  1. 74.5 Cn Compare Gk Syr: Meaning of Heb uncertain
  2. 74.11 Cn: Heb do you consume your right hand from
  3. 74.14 Heb food for the people
  4. 74.16 Or moon; Heb light
  5. 74.20 Gk Syr: Heb the
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Psalm 74
New American Standard Bible

An Appeal against the Devastation of the Land by the Enemy.

A [a]Maskil of Asaph.

74 God, why have You (A)rejected us forever?
Why does Your anger (B)smoke against the (C)sheep of Your [b]pasture?
2 Remember Your congregation, which You (D)purchased of old,
Which You have (E)redeemed to be the (F)tribe of Your inheritance;
And this Mount (G)Zion, where You have dwelt.
3 [c]Step toward the [d](H)irreparable ruins;
The enemy (I)has damaged everything in the sanctuary.
4 Your adversaries have (J)roared in the midst of Your meeting place;
They have set up their (K)own signs as (L)signs.
5 It [e]seems like one bringing up
His (M)axe into a [f]forest of trees.
6 And now they break down [g]all its (N)carved work
With axe and hammers.
7 They have [h](O)burned Your sanctuary [i]to the ground;
They have (P)defiled the dwelling place of Your name.
8 They (Q)said in their heart, “Let’s [j]completely [k]subdue them.”
They have burned all the meeting places of God in the land.
9 We do not see our (R)signs;
There is (S)no longer any prophet,
Nor is there anyone among us who knows (T)how long.
10 How long, God, will the enemy (U)taunt You?
Shall the enemy (V)treat Your name disrespectfully forever?
11 Why (W)do You withdraw Your hand, even Your right hand?
Extend it from Your chest and (X)destroy them!

12 Yet God is (Y)my King from long ago,
Who performs acts of salvation in the midst of the earth.
13 [l]You (Z)divided the sea by Your strength;
[m]You (AA)broke the heads of the (AB)sea monsters [n]in the waters.
14 [o]You crushed the heads of [p](AC)Leviathan;
You gave him as food for the [q]creatures (AD)of the wilderness.
15 [r]You (AE)broke open springs and torrents;
[s]You (AF)dried up ever-flowing streams.
16 Yours is the day, Yours also is the night;
[t]You have (AG)prepared the [u]light and the sun.
17 [v]You have (AH)established all the boundaries of the earth;
[w]You have [x]created (AI)summer and winter.

18 Remember this, [y]Lord, that the enemy has (AJ)taunted You,
And a (AK)foolish people has treated Your name disrespectfully.
19 Do not give the soul of Your (AL)turtledove to the wild animal;
(AM)Do not forget the life of Your afflicted forever.
20 Consider the (AN)covenant;
For the (AO)dark places of the land are full of the places of violence.
21 May the (AP)oppressed person not return dishonored;
May the (AQ)afflicted and the needy praise Your name.

22 Arise, God, and (AR)plead Your own cause;
Remember [z]how the (AS)foolish person taunts You all day long.
23 Do not forget the voice of Your (AT)adversaries,
The (AU)uproar of those who rise against You, which ascends continually.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 74 Title Possibly, Contemplative; or Didactic; or Skillful Psalm
  2. Psalm 74:1 Or pasturing
  3. Psalm 74:3 Lit Lift Your footsteps
  4. Psalm 74:3 Lit ruins ruined for all time
  5. Psalm 74:5 Lit is known as
  6. Psalm 74:5 Lit thicket
  7. Psalm 74:6 Lit altogether
  8. Psalm 74:7 Lit set on fire
  9. Psalm 74:7 Or To the ground they...
  10. Psalm 74:8 Lit altogether
  11. Psalm 74:8 Or oppress
  12. Psalm 74:13 Or You Yourself
  13. Psalm 74:13 Or You Yourself
  14. Psalm 74:13 Lit on
  15. Psalm 74:14 Or You Yourself
  16. Psalm 74:14 Or sea monster
  17. Psalm 74:14 Lit people
  18. Psalm 74:15 Or You Yourself
  19. Psalm 74:15 Or You Yourself
  20. Psalm 74:16 Or You Yourself
  21. Psalm 74:16 Or luminary
  22. Psalm 74:17 Or You Yourself
  23. Psalm 74:17 Or You Yourself
  24. Psalm 74:17 Or formed
  25. Psalm 74:18 Or that the enemy has taunted the Lord
  26. Psalm 74:22 Lit Your reproach from the foolish man
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Psalm 74
The Message

74 You walked off and left us, and never looked back.
    God, how could you do that?
We’re your very own sheep;
    how can you stomp off in anger?

2-3 Refresh your memory of us—you bought us a long time ago.
    Your most precious tribe—you paid a good price for us!
    Your very own Mount Zion—you actually lived here once!
Come and visit the site of disaster,
    see how they’ve wrecked the sanctuary.

4-8 While your people were at worship, your enemies barged in,
    brawling and scrawling graffiti.
They set fire to the porch;
    axes swinging, they chopped up the woodwork,
Beat down the doors with sledgehammers,
    then split them into kindling.
They burned your holy place to the ground,
    violated the place of worship.
They said to themselves, “We’ll wipe them all out,”
    and burned down all the places of worship.

9-17 There’s not a sign or symbol of God in sight,
    nor anyone to speak in his name,
    no one who knows what’s going on.
How long, God, will barbarians blaspheme,
    enemies curse and get by with it?
Why don’t you do something? How long are you going
    to sit there with your hands folded in your lap?
God is my King from the very start;
    he works salvation in the womb of the earth.
With one blow you split the sea in two,
    you made mincemeat of the dragon Tannin.
You lopped off the heads of Leviathan,
    then served them up in a stew for the animals.
With your finger you opened up springs and creeks,
    and dried up the wild floodwaters.
You own the day, you own the night;
    you put stars and sun in place.
You laid out the four corners of earth,
    shaped the seasons of summer and winter.

18-21 Mark and remember, God, all the enemy
    taunts, each idiot desecration.
Don’t throw your lambs to the wolves;
    after all we’ve been through, don’t forget us.
Remember your promises;
    the city is in darkness, the countryside violent.
Don’t leave the victims to rot in the street;
    make them a choir that sings your praises.

22-23 On your feet, O God—
    stand up for yourself!
Do you hear what they’re saying about you,
    all the vile obscenities?
Don’t tune out their malicious filth,
    the brawling invective that never lets up.

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