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Psalm 74

A maskil[a] of Asaph.

74 God, why have you abandoned us forever?
    Why does your anger smolder
    at the sheep of your own pasture?
Remember your congregation
    that you took as your own long ago,
    that you redeemed to be the tribe of your own possession—
    remember Mount Zion, where you dwell.
March to the unending ruins,
    to all that the enemy destroyed in the sanctuary.

Your enemies roared in your own meeting place;
    they set up their own signs there!
It looked like axes raised
    against a thicket of trees.[b]
And then all its carvings
    they hacked down with hatchet and pick.
They set fire to your sanctuary, burned it to the ground;
    they defiled the dwelling place of your name.
They said in their hearts, We’ll kill all of them together!
    They burned all of God’s meeting places in the land.
We don’t see our own signs anymore.
    No prophet is left.
        And none of us know how long it will last.

10 How long, God, will foes insult you?
    Are enemies going to abuse your name forever?
11 Why do you pull your hand back?
    Why do you hold your strong hand close to your chest?

12 Yet God has been my king from ancient days—
    God, who makes salvation happen in the heart of the earth!
13         You split the sea with your power.
        You shattered the heads of the sea monsters on the water.
14         You crushed Leviathan’s heads.
        You gave it to the desert dwellers for food!
15         You split open springs and streams;
        you made strong-flowing rivers dry right up.
16         The day belongs to you! The night too!
        You established both the moon and the sun.
17         You set all the boundaries of the earth in place.
        Summer and winter? You made them!

18 So remember this, Lord:
    how enemies have insulted you,
    how unbelieving fools have abused your name.
19 Don’t deliver the life of your dove to wild animals!
    Don’t forget the lives of your afflicted people forever!
20 Consider the covenant!
    Because the land’s dark places are full of violence.
21 Don’t let the oppressed live in shame.
    No, let the poor and needy praise your name!

22 God, rise up! Make your case!
    Remember how unbelieving fools insult you all day long.
23 Don’t forget the voices of your enemies,
    the racket of your adversaries that never quits.

Psalm 75

For the music leader. Do not destroy. A psalm of Asaph. A song.

75 We give thanks to you, God. Yes, we give thanks!
    Your name is near. Your marvelous deeds are declared.

God says,[c] “When I decide the time is right,
    I will establish justice just so.
    The earth and all its inhabitants will melt,
    but I will keep its pillars steady.” Selah

I said to the arrogant,
    “Don’t be arrogant!”
To the wicked I said,
    “Don’t exalt your strength!
        Don’t exalt your strength so highly.
        Don’t speak so arrogantly against the rock.”[d]
Because what exalts someone
    doesn’t come from the east or west;
    it’s not from the south either.
Rather it is God who is the judge.
    He brings this person down,
        but that person he lifts up.
Indeed, there’s a cup in the Lord’s hand
    full of foaming wine, mixed with spice.
    He will pour it out,
    and all of the earth’s wicked people
    must drink it;
    they must drink every last drop!

But I will rejoice[e] always;
    I will sing praises to Jacob’s God!
10 God says:[f]
“I will demolish every bit of the wicked’s power,
    but the strength of the righteous will be lifted up.”

Psalm 76

For the music leader. With stringed instruments. A psalm of Asaph. A song.

76 God is known in Judah;
    his name is great in Israel.
His dwelling place became Salem;
    his habitation was Zion.
It was there that he broke the fiery shafts of the bow,
    the shield, the sword—even the battle itself! Selah

You are ablaze with light,
    mightier than the mountains that give food.
The bravehearted lie plundered.
    They sank into deep lethargy.
    All the strong troops
    couldn’t even lift their hands!
At your rebuke, Jacob’s God,
    both chariot and horse were stopped dead-still.

You! You are awesome!
    Who can stand before you when you are angry?
You have announced judgment from heaven.
    The earth grew afraid and fell silent
    when God rose up to establish justice,
    when God rose up to save all of the earth’s poor. Selah

10 Even human rage will turn to your praise
    when you dress yourself
    with whatever remains of your wrath.[g]
11 Make promises to the Lord your God and keep them!
    Let all around him bring gifts to the awesome one.
12 He breaks the spirit of princes.
    He is terrifying to all the kings of the earth.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 74:1 Perhaps instruction
  2. Psalm 74:5 Heb uncertain
  3. Psalm 75:2 Heb lacks God says.
  4. Psalm 75:5 LXX against God; MT speak with an arrogant neck
  5. Psalm 75:9 LXX; MT I will declare
  6. Psalm 75:10 Heb lacks God says.
  7. Psalm 76:10 Heb uncertain

Psalm 74

A maskil[a] of Asaph.

O God, why have you rejected(A) us forever?(B)
    Why does your anger smolder against the sheep of your pasture?(C)
Remember the nation you purchased(D) long ago,(E)
    the people of your inheritance,(F) whom you redeemed(G)
    Mount Zion,(H) where you dwelt.(I)
Turn your steps toward these everlasting ruins,(J)
    all this destruction the enemy has brought on the sanctuary.

Your foes roared(K) in the place where you met with us;
    they set up their standards(L) as signs.
They behaved like men wielding axes
    to cut through a thicket of trees.(M)
They smashed all the carved(N) paneling
    with their axes and hatchets.
They burned your sanctuary to the ground;
    they defiled(O) the dwelling place(P) of your Name.(Q)
They said in their hearts, “We will crush(R) them completely!”
    They burned(S) every place where God was worshiped in the land.

We are given no signs from God;(T)
    no prophets(U) are left,
    and none of us knows how long this will be.
10 How long(V) will the enemy mock(W) you, God?
    Will the foe revile(X) your name forever?
11 Why do you hold back your hand, your right hand?(Y)
    Take it from the folds of your garment(Z) and destroy them!

12 But God is my King(AA) from long ago;
    he brings salvation(AB) on the earth.

13 It was you who split open the sea(AC) by your power;
    you broke the heads of the monster(AD) in the waters.
14 It was you who crushed the heads of Leviathan(AE)
    and gave it as food to the creatures of the desert.(AF)
15 It was you who opened up springs(AG) and streams;
    you dried up(AH) the ever-flowing rivers.
16 The day is yours, and yours also the night;
    you established the sun and moon.(AI)
17 It was you who set all the boundaries(AJ) of the earth;
    you made both summer and winter.(AK)

18 Remember how the enemy has mocked you, Lord,
    how foolish people(AL) have reviled your name.
19 Do not hand over the life of your dove(AM) to wild beasts;
    do not forget the lives of your afflicted(AN) people forever.
20 Have regard for your covenant,(AO)
    because haunts of violence fill the dark places(AP) of the land.
21 Do not let the oppressed(AQ) retreat in disgrace;
    may the poor and needy(AR) praise your name.
22 Rise up,(AS) O God, and defend your cause;
    remember how fools(AT) mock you all day long.
23 Do not ignore the clamor(AU) of your adversaries,(AV)
    the uproar(AW) of your enemies,(AX) which rises continually.

Psalm 75[b]

For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A psalm of Asaph. A song.

We praise you, God,
    we praise you, for your Name is near;(AY)
    people tell of your wonderful deeds.(AZ)

You say, “I choose the appointed time;(BA)
    it is I who judge with equity.(BB)
When the earth and all its people quake,(BC)
    it is I who hold its pillars(BD) firm.[c]
To the arrogant(BE) I say, ‘Boast no more,’(BF)
    and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horns.[d](BG)
Do not lift your horns against heaven;
    do not speak so defiantly.(BH)’”

No one from the east or the west
    or from the desert can exalt themselves.
It is God who judges:(BI)
    He brings one down, he exalts another.(BJ)
In the hand of the Lord is a cup
    full of foaming wine mixed(BK) with spices;
he pours it out, and all the wicked of the earth
    drink it down to its very dregs.(BL)

As for me, I will declare(BM) this forever;
    I will sing(BN) praise to the God of Jacob,(BO)
10 who says, “I will cut off the horns of all the wicked,
    but the horns of the righteous will be lifted up.”(BP)

Psalm 76[e]

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm of Asaph. A song.

God is renowned in Judah;
    in Israel his name is great.(BQ)
His tent is in Salem,(BR)
    his dwelling place in Zion.(BS)
There he broke the flashing arrows,(BT)
    the shields and the swords, the weapons of war.[f](BU)

You are radiant with light,(BV)
    more majestic than mountains rich with game.
The valiant(BW) lie plundered,
    they sleep their last sleep;(BX)
not one of the warriors
    can lift his hands.
At your rebuke,(BY) God of Jacob,
    both horse and chariot(BZ) lie still.

It is you alone who are to be feared.(CA)
    Who can stand(CB) before you when you are angry?(CC)
From heaven you pronounced judgment,
    and the land feared(CD) and was quiet—
when you, God, rose up to judge,(CE)
    to save all the afflicted(CF) of the land.
10 Surely your wrath against mankind brings you praise,(CG)
    and the survivors of your wrath are restrained.[g]

11 Make vows to the Lord your God and fulfill them;(CH)
    let all the neighboring lands
    bring gifts(CI) to the One to be feared.
12 He breaks the spirit of rulers;
    he is feared by the kings of the earth.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 74:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
  2. Psalm 75:1 In Hebrew texts 75:1-10 is numbered 75:2-11.
  3. Psalm 75:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
  4. Psalm 75:4 Horns here symbolize strength; also in verses 5 and 10.
  5. Psalm 76:1 In Hebrew texts 76:1-12 is numbered 76:2-13.
  6. Psalm 76:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 9.
  7. Psalm 76:10 Or Surely the wrath of mankind brings you praise, / and with the remainder of wrath you arm yourself