Psalm 74

Prayer for Israel

A Maskil of Asaph.(A)

Why have You rejected us forever, God?
Why does Your anger burn
against the sheep of Your pasture?(B)
Remember Your congregation,
which You purchased long ago
and redeemed as the tribe for Your own possession.(C)
Remember Mount Zion where You dwell.(D)
Make Your way[a] to the everlasting ruins,
to all that the enemy has destroyed in the sanctuary.(E)
Your adversaries roared in the meeting place
where You met with us.[b]
They set up their emblems as signs.(F)
It was like men in a thicket of trees,
wielding axes,(G)
then smashing all the carvings
with hatchets and picks.(H)
They set Your sanctuary on fire;
they utterly[c] desecrated
the dwelling place of Your name.(I)
They said in their hearts,
“Let us oppress them relentlessly.”
They burned down every place throughout the land
where God met with us.[d](J)
There are no signs for us to see.
There is no longer a prophet.
And none of us knows how long this will last.(K)
10 God, how long will the enemy mock?
Will the foe insult Your name forever?(L)
11 Why do You hold back Your hand?
Stretch out[e] Your right hand and destroy them!(M)

12 God my King is from ancient times,
performing saving acts on the earth.(N)
13 You divided the sea with Your strength;
You smashed the heads of the sea monsters in the waters;(O)
14 You crushed the heads of Leviathan;
You fed him to the creatures of the desert.(P)
15 You opened up springs and streams;(Q)
You dried up ever-flowing rivers.(R)
16 The day is Yours, also the night;
You established the moon and the sun.(S)
17 You set all the boundaries of the earth;
You made summer and winter.(T)

18 Remember this: the enemy has mocked Yahweh,
and a foolish people has insulted Your name.(U)
19 Do not give the life of Your dove to beasts;[f]
do not forget the lives of Your poor people forever.(V)
20 Consider the covenant,(W)
for the dark places of the land are full of violence.(X)
21 Do not let the oppressed turn away in shame;
let the poor and needy praise Your name.(Y)
22 Rise up, God, defend Your cause!(Z)
Remember the insults
that fools bring against You all day long.(AA)
23 Do not forget the clamor of Your adversaries,
the tumult of Your opponents that goes up constantly.(AB)

Psalm 75

God Judges the Wicked

For the choir director: “Do Not Destroy.”[g] A psalm of Asaph.(AC) A song.

We give thanks to You, God;
we give thanks to You, for Your name is near.
People tell about Your wonderful works.(AD)

“When I choose a time,
I will judge fairly.(AE)
When the earth and all its inhabitants shake,
I am the One who steadies its pillars.(AF)Selah
I say to the boastful, ‘Do not boast,’
and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horn.(AG)
Do not lift up your horn against heaven
or speak arrogantly.’”(AH)

Exaltation does not come
from the east, the west, or the desert,
for God is the Judge:
He brings down one and exalts another.(AI)
For there is a cup in the Lord’s hand,
full of wine blended with spices, and He pours from it.
All the wicked of the earth will drink,
draining it to the dregs.(AJ)

As for me, I will tell about Him forever;
I will sing praise to the God of Jacob.(AK)

10 “I will cut off all the horns of the wicked,(AL)
but the horns of the righteous will be lifted up.”(AM)

Psalm 76

God, the Powerful Judge

For the choir director: with stringed instruments. A psalm of Asaph.(AN) A song.

God is known in Judah;
His name is great in Israel.(AO)
His tent is in Salem,[h]
His dwelling place in Zion.(AP)
There He shatters the bow’s flaming arrows,
the shield, the sword, and the weapons of war.(AQ)Selah

You are resplendent and majestic
coming down from the mountains of prey.(AR)
The brave-hearted have been plundered;
they have slipped into their final sleep.
None of the warriors was able to lift a hand.(AS)
At Your rebuke, God of Jacob,
both chariot and horse lay still.(AT)

And You—You are to be feared.[i]
When You are angry,
who can stand before You?(AU)
From heaven You pronounced judgment.
The earth feared and grew quiet(AV)
when God rose up to judge
and to save all the lowly of the earth.(AW)Selah
10 Even human wrath will praise You;
You will clothe Yourself
with their remaining wrath.[j](AX)

11 Make and keep your vows
to the Lord your God;(AY)
let all who are around Him bring tribute
to the awe-inspiring One.[k](AZ)
12 He humbles the spirit of leaders;
He is feared by the kings of the earth.(BA)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 74:3 Lit Lift up Your steps
  2. Psalm 74:4 Lit in Your meeting place
  3. Psalm 74:7 Lit they to the ground
  4. Psalm 74:8 Lit every meeting place of God in the land
  5. Psalm 74:11 Lit From Your bosom
  6. Psalm 74:19 One Hb ms, LXX, Syr read Do not hand over to beasts a soul that praises You
  7. Psalm 75:1 Possibly a tune
  8. Psalm 76:2 = Jerusalem
  9. Psalm 76:7 Or are awe-inspiring
  10. Psalm 76:10 Hb obscure
  11. Psalm 76:11 Or tribute with awe

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