Beginning

Think of Mount Zion,
    your home;
³ walk over to the temple
left in ruins forever
    by those who hate us.

⁴ Your enemies roared like lions
    in your holy temple,
and they have placed
    their banners there.
⁵ It looks like a forest
    chopped to pieces.^[a]
6 They used axes and hatchets
    to smash the carvings.
⁷ They burned down your temple
    and badly disgraced it.
⁸ They said to themselves,
    “We'll crush them!”
Then they burned every one
of your meeting places
    all over the country.
⁹ There are no more miracles
    and no more prophets.
Who knows how long
    it will be like this?

¹⁰ Our God, how much longer
    will our enemies sneer?
Won't they ever stop
    insulting you?
¹¹ Why don't you punish them?
    Why are you holding back?

¹² Our God and King,
you have ruled
    since ancient times;
you have won victories
    everywhere on this earth.
^13 (A) By your power you made a path
    through the sea,
and you smashed the heads
    of sea monsters.
^14 (B) You crushed the heads
    of the monster Leviathan,^[b]
then fed him to wild creatures
    in the desert.
¹⁵ You opened the ground
for streams and springs
    and dried up mighty rivers.
¹⁶ You rule the day and the night,
and you put the moon
    and the sun in place.
¹⁷ You made summer and winter
    and gave them to the earth.^[c]

¹⁸ Remember your enemies, Lord!
They foolishly sneer
    and won't respect you.
¹⁹ You treat us like pet doves,
    but they mistreat us.
Don't keep forgetting us
and letting us be fed
    to those wild animals.
²⁰ Remember the agreement
    you made with us.
Violent enemies are hiding
in every dark corner
    of the earth.
²¹ Don't disappoint those in need
    or make them turn from you,
but help the poor and homeless
    to shout your praises.
²² Do something, God!
    Defend yourself.
Remember how those fools
    sneer at you all day long.
²³ Don't forget the loud shouts
    of your enemies.

² You have set a time
    to judge with fairness.
³ The earth trembles,
    and its people shake;
you alone keep
    its foundations firm.
⁴ You tell every bragger,
    “Stop bragging!”
And to the wicked you say,
    “Don't boast of your power!
⁵ Stop bragging! Quit telling me
    how great you are.”

⁶ Our Lord and our God,
    victory doesn't come
from the east or the west
    or from the desert.
⁷ You are the one who judges.
You can take away power
    and give it to others.
⁸ You hold in your hand
a cup filled with wine,^[e]
    strong and foaming.
You will pour out some
for every sinful person
    on this earth,
and they will have to drink
    until it is gone.
⁹ But I will always tell about
you, the God of Jacob,
    and I will sing your praise.

¹⁰ Our Lord, you will destroy
    the power of evil people,
but you will give strength
    to those who are good.

⁴ You are more glorious than
    the eternal mountains.^[f]
5 Brave warriors were robbed
    of what they had taken,
and now they lie dead,
    unable to lift an arm.
⁶ God of Jacob, when you roar,
enemy chariots and horses
    drop dead in their tracks.

⁷ Our God, you are fearsome,
and no one can oppose you
    when you are angry.
⁸ From heaven you announced
    your decisions as judge!
And all who live on this earth
    were terrified and silent
⁹ when you took over as judge,
ready to rescue
    everyone in need.
¹⁰ Even the most angry people
will praise you
    when you are furious.^[g]

¹¹ Everyone, make your promises
to the Lord your God
    and do what you promise.
The Lord is fearsome,
and all his servants
    should bring him gifts.
¹² God destroys the courage
of rulers and kings
    and makes cowards of them.

⁴ Because of you, Lord God,
    I can't sleep.
I am restless
    and can't even talk.
⁵ I think of times gone by,
    of those years long ago.
⁶ Each night my mind
    is flooded with questions:^[h]
7 “Have you rejected me forever?
    Won't you be kind again?
⁸ Is this the end of your love
    and your promises?
⁹ Have you forgotten
    how to have pity?
Do you refuse to show mercy
    because of your anger?”
¹⁰ Then I said, “God Most High,
    what hurts me most
is that you no longer help us
    with your mighty arm.”

¹¹ Our Lord, I will remember
the things you have done,
    your miracles of long ago.
¹² I will think about each one
    of your mighty deeds.
¹³ Everything you do is right,
and no other god
    compares with you.
¹⁴ You alone work miracles,
and you have let nations
    see your mighty power.
¹⁵ With your own arm you rescued
your people, the descendants
    of Jacob and Joseph.

¹⁶ The ocean looked at you, God,
and it trembled deep down
    with fear.
¹⁷ Water flowed from the clouds.
    Thunder was heard above
as your arrows of lightning
    flashed about.
¹⁸ Your thunder roared
    like chariot wheels.
The world was made bright
by lightning,
    and all the earth trembled.

¹⁹ You walked through the water
    of the mighty sea,
but your footprints
    were never seen.
²⁰ You guided your people
    like a flock of sheep,
and you chose Moses and Aaron
    to be their leaders.