UST by section PSA 74:1

⌂ ← PSA 74:1–74:23 → ║ ═ ©

Psalm 74

A Levite from the clan of Asaph wrote this song.

God, it feels as if you have permanently abandoned us!

You care for us Israelites the way a shepherd cares for his flock.

So please do not continue to be angry with us.

2 Think about your people whom you chose long ago.

You rescued us from slavery so that we would belong to you.

Think about Mount Zion, where you have been present in your temple.

3 Come and walk through the ruins of your temple.

It seems that no one will ever rebuild it.

Look at all the damage that the enemy soldiers did to your temple.

4 Your enemies shouted in triumph right there in the place where you met with us Israelites.

They set up their battle flags to show that they had conquered it.

5 They acted like woodsmen who were swinging axes to cut down trees in a forest.

6 They smashed all the carved wooden panels with their axes and hammers.

7 Then they burned down your temple completely.

They treated the temple where you were present as if it were not a sacred place.

8 They said to themselves, “We will completely subdue the Israelites.”

They burned down every place in the land where people gathered to worship God.

9 You no longer give us any signs,

and there are no prophets anymore.

None of us knows how long this will last.

10 God, do not allow your opponents to continue to insult you!

Do not allow your enemies to keep treating you with disrespect anymore!

11 You should not fail to use your great power.

Use your power to destroy your enemies!

12 God, I acknowledge that you have ruled from ancient times.

You have been saving people throughout the earth.

13 By your great power, you pushed back the sea so that the dry land would appear.

You created order out of the watery chaos.

14 It was as if you smashed the heads of a chaos monster that lived in the sea

and left his body in the desert for scavengers to eat.

15 You are able to make springs and streams flow in dry areas,

but you are also able to dry up rivers that usually flow all the time.

16 You determine when it becomes day and when it becomes night.

You make it light during the day when the sun shines.

17 You are the one who set all the boundaries of the earth.

You are the one who created the seasons of summer and winter.

18 Yahweh, remember that your enemies have insulted you

and that foolish people have mocked your reputation.

19 Do not allow cruel enemies to destroy the people whom you cherish.

Save the lives of your vulnerable people before it is too late.

20 People are committing violent acts in places where they think others will not see them.

So we need you to help us. Please do that because of the covenant that you made with us.

21 We are asking you to help us; please do not disappoint us.

Then we poor and needy people will praise you for what you have done.

22 Take action to defend yourself, God!

Do not allow foolish people to keep insulting you!

23 Do not ignore what your enemies are saying.

Your opponents keep shouting things against you.