Maschil of Asaph.

¹ ¶ O God, why hast thou cast us off for ever? Why does thine anger smoke against the sheep of thy pasture?

² Remember thy congregation, which thou hast purchased of old; the rod of thine inheritance, which thou hast redeemed, this Mount Zion, in which thou hast dwelt.

³ Lift up thy feet unto the eternal desolations, unto every enemy who has done wickedly in the sanctuary.

⁴ Thine enemies have roared in the midst of thy assemblies; they set up their own banners for signs.

⁵ Renowned, as one on the way to heaven, he who lifted up axes upon the thick trees for the work of the sanctuary.

⁶ But now they break down all the carved work thereof with axes and hammers.

⁷ They have set fire to thy sanctuaries; they have defiled the tabernacle of thy name in the earth.

⁸ They said in their hearts, Let us destroy them at once; they have burned up all the meeting places of the people of God in the earth.

⁹ We no longer see our own banners; there is no longer any prophet: neither is there among us any that knows. How long shall this be?

¹⁰ O God, how long shall the adversary reproach? Shall the enemy blaspheme thy name for ever?

¹¹ Why dost thou withdraw thy hand, even thy right hand? Why dost thou hide it in thy bosom.

¹² ¶ For God is my King from of old, he who works saving health in the midst of the earth.

¹³ Thou didst divide the sea by thy strength; thou didst break the heads of the dragons in the waters.

¹⁴ Thou didst break the heads of leviathan in pieces and didst give him to be food to the people inhabiting the wilderness.

¹⁵ Thou didst cleave the fountain and the river; thou didst dry up mighty rivers.

¹⁶ The day is thine, the night also is thine; thou hast prepared the light and the sun.

¹⁷ Thou hast set all the borders of the earth; thou hast made summer and winter.

¹⁸ ¶ Remember this, that the enemy has spoken against the LORD and that the foolish people have blasphemed thy name.

¹⁹ O deliver not the soul of thy turtledove unto the beasts; forget not the congregation of thy poor for ever.

²⁰ Have respect unto the covenant; for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of violence.

²¹ O let not the oppressed return ashamed; the poor and destitute shall praise thy name.

²² Arise, O God, plead thine own cause; remember how the foolish man reproaches thee daily.

²³ Forget not the voices of thine enemies; the tumult of those that rise up against thee increases continually.