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

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

2 r emember 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.

Remember thy congregation, which thou hast purchased of old; the rod of thine inheritance, which thou hast redeemed, this Mount Zion, in which thou hast dwelt.

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

Lift up thy feet unto the eternal desolations, unto every enemy who has done wickedly in the sanctuary.

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

Thine enemies have roared in the midst of thy assemblies; they set up their own banners for signs.

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

Renowned, as one on the way to heaven, he who lifted up axes upon the thick trees for the work of the sanctuary.

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

But now they break down all the carved work thereof with axes and hammers.

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

They have set fire to thy sanctuaries; they have defiled the tabernacle of thy name in the earth.

8 T hey said in their hearts, Let us make havoc altogether. They have burned up all God’s meetinghouses in the land.

They said in their hearts, Let us destroy them at once; they have burned up all the meeting places of the people of God in the earth.

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

We no longer see our own banners; there is no longer any prophet: neither is there among us any that knows. How long shall this be?

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

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

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

Why dost thou withdraw thy hand, even thy right hand? Why dost thou hide it in thy bosom.

12 Y et God is my King of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth.

¶ For God is my King from of old, he who works saving health in the midst of the earth.

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

Thou didst divide the sea by thy strength; thou didst break the heads of the dragons in the waters.

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

Thou didst break the heads of leviathan in pieces and didst give him to be food to the people inhabiting the wilderness.

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

Thou didst cleave the fountain and the river; thou didst dry up mighty rivers.

16 T he day is Yours, the night also is Yours; You have established the light and the sun.

The day is thine, the night also is thine; thou hast prepared the light and the sun.

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

Thou hast set all the borders of the earth; thou hast made summer and winter.

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

¶ Remember this, that the enemy has spoken against the LORD and that the foolish people have blasphemed thy name.

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

O deliver not the soul of thy turtledove unto the beasts; forget not the congregation of thy poor for ever.

20 H ave regard for the covenant, for the dark places of the land are full of the habitations of violence.

Have respect unto the covenant; for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of violence.

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

O let not the oppressed return ashamed; the poor and destitute shall praise thy name.

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

Arise, O God, plead thine own cause; remember how the foolish man reproaches thee daily.

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

Forget not the voices of thine enemies; the tumult of those that rise up against thee increases continually.