PSALM 74 [†] O God, why do you  s cast us off forever?

Why does your anger  t smoke against  u the sheep of your pasture?

2  v Remember your congregation, which you have  w purchased of old,

which you have  x redeemed to be  y the tribe of your heritage!

Remember Mount Zion,  z where you have dwelt.

3[^] Direct your steps to  a the perpetual ruins;

the enemy has destroyed everything in the sanctuary!

4[†] Your foes have  b roared in the midst of your meeting place;

 c they set up their  d own signs for  e signs.

5 They were like those who swing  f axes

in a forest of trees. [2]

6 And all its  g carved wood

they broke down with hatchets and hammers.

7 They  h set your sanctuary on fire;

they  i profaned  j the dwelling place of your name,

bringing it down to the ground.

8 They  k said to themselves, “We will utterly subdue them”;

they burned all the meeting places of God in the land.

9[†] We do not see our  l signs;

 m there is no longer any prophet,

and there is none among us who knows how long.

10[^] How long, O God,  n is the foe to scoff?

Is the enemy to revile your name forever?

11 Why  o do you hold back your hand, your right hand?

Take it from the fold of your garment [3] and destroy them!

12[†] Yet  p God my King is from of old,

working salvation in the midst of the earth.

13[^] You  q divided the sea by your might;

you  r broke the heads of  s the sea monsters [4] on the waters.

14[†] You crushed the heads of  t Leviathan;

you gave him as food for the creatures of the wilderness.

15 You  u split open springs and brooks;

you  v dried up ever-flowing streams.

16 Yours is the day, yours also the night;

you have established  w the heavenly lights and the sun.

17 You have  x fixed all the boundaries of the earth;

you have made  y summer and winter.

18[†]  z Remember this, O LORD, how the enemy scoffs,

and  a a foolish people reviles your name.

19 Do not deliver the soul of your  b dove to the wild beasts;

 c do not forget the life of your poor forever.

20 Have regard for  d the covenant,

for  e the dark places of the land are full of the habitations of violence.

21 Let not  f the downtrodden  g turn back in shame;

let  h the poor and needy praise your name.

22 Arise, O God,  i defend your cause;

 j remember how the foolish scoff at you all the day!

23 Do not forget the clamor of your foes,

 k the uproar of those who rise against you, which goes up continually!

To the choirmaster: according to  l Do Not Destroy.  m A Psalm of Asaph. A Song.