1 O God, why hast thou cast us off for ever? why doth thine anger smoke against the sheep of thy pasture?

O God, why do You cast us off forever? Why does Your anger burn and smoke against the sheep of Your pasture?

2 R emember thy congregation, which thou hast purchased of old; the rod of thine inheritance, which thou hast redeemed; this mount Zion, wherein thou hast dwelt.

remember Your congregation which You have acquired of old, which You have redeemed to be the tribe of Your heritage; remember Mount Zion, where You have dwelt.

3 L ift up thy feet unto the perpetual desolations; even all that the enemy hath done wickedly in the sanctuary.

Direct Your feet to the perpetual ruins and desolations; the foe has devastated and desecrated everything in the sanctuary.

4 T hine enemies roar in the midst of thy congregations; they set up their ensigns for signs.

In the midst of Your Holy Place Your enemies have roared; they set up their own emblems for signs.

5 A man was famous according as he had lifted up axes upon the thick trees.

They seemed like men who lifted up axes upon a thicket of trees to make themselves a record.

6 B ut now they break down the carved work thereof at once with axes and hammers.

And then all the carved wood of the Holy Place they broke down with hatchets and hammers.

7 T hey have cast fire into thy sanctuary, they have defiled by casting down the dwelling place of thy name to the ground.

They have set Your sanctuary on fire; they have profaned the dwelling place of Your Name by casting it to the ground.

8 T hey said in their hearts, Let us destroy them together: they have burned up all the synagogues of God in the land.

They said in their hearts, Let us make havoc altogether. They have burned up all God’s meetinghouses in the land.

9 W e see not our signs: there is no more any prophet: neither is there among us any that knoweth how long.

We do not see our symbols; there is no longer any prophet, neither does any among us know for how long.

10 O God, how long shall the adversary reproach? shall the enemy blaspheme thy name for ever?

O God, how long is the adversary to scoff and reproach? Is the enemy to blaspheme and revile Your name forever?

11 W hy withdrawest thou thy hand, even thy right hand? pluck it out of thy bosom.

Why do You hold back Your hand, even Your right hand? Draw it out of Your bosom and consume them!

12 F or God is my King of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth.

Yet God is my King of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth.

13 T hou didst divide the sea by thy strength: thou brakest the heads of the dragons in the waters.

You did divide the Sea by Your might; You broke the heads of the dragons in the waters.

14 T hou brakest the heads of leviathan in pieces, and gavest him to be meat to the people inhabiting the wilderness.

You crushed the heads of Leviathan (Egypt); You did give him as food for the creatures inhabiting the wilderness.

15 T hou didst cleave the fountain and the flood: thou driedst up mighty rivers.

You did cleave open fountains and streams; You dried up mighty, ever-flowing rivers (the Jordan).

16 T he day is thine, the night also is thine: thou hast prepared the light and the sun.

The day is Yours, the night also is Yours; You have established the light and the sun.

17 T hou hast set all the borders of the earth: thou hast made summer and winter.

You have fixed all the borders of the earth; You have made summer and winter.

18 R emember this, that the enemy hath reproached, O Lord, and that the foolish people have blasphemed thy name.

remember how the enemy has scoffed, O Lord, and reproached You, and how a foolish and impious people has blasphemed Your name.

19 O deliver not the soul of thy turtledove unto the multitude of the wicked: forget not the congregation of thy poor for ever.

Oh, do not deliver the life of your turtledove to the wild beast (to the greedy multitude); forget not the life of Your poor forever.

20 H ave respect unto the covenant: for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty.

Have regard for the covenant, for the dark places of the land are full of the habitations of violence.

21 O let not the oppressed return ashamed: let the poor and needy praise thy name.

Oh, let not the downtrodden return in shame; let the oppressed and needy praise Your name.

22 A rise, O God, plead thine own cause: remember how the foolish man reproacheth thee daily.

Arise, O God, plead Your own cause; remember how the foolish and impious man scoffs and reproaches You day after day and all day long.

23 F orget not the voice of thine enemies: the tumult of those that rise up against thee increaseth continually.

Do not forget the voices of Your adversaries, the tumult of those who rise up against You, which ascends continually.