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

An Instruction of Asaph. Why, O God, hast Thou cast off for ever? Thine anger smoketh against the flock 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 company. Thou didst purchase of old, Thou didst redeem the rod of Thy inheritance, This mount Zion -- Thou didst dwell in it.

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

Lift up Thy steps to the perpetual desolations, Everything the enemy did 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.

Roared have thine adversaries, In the midst of Thy meeting-places, They have set their ensigns as ensigns.

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

He is known as one bringing in on high Against a thicket of wood -- axes.

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

And now, its carvings together With axe and hatchet they break down,

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 sent into fire Thy sanctuary, to the earth they polluted the tabernacle of Thy name,

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 oppress them together,' They did burn all the meeting-places of God in the land.

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

Our ensigns we have not seen, There is no more a prophet, Nor with us is one knowing how long.

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

Till when, O God, doth an adversary reproach? Doth an enemy despise 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 turn back Thy hand, Even Thy right hand? From the midst of Thy bosom remove.

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

And God my king of old, Working salvation 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 hast broken by Thy strength a sea-, Thou hast shivered Heads of dragons by the waters,

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

Thou hast broken the heads of leviathan, Thou makest him food, For the people of the dry places.

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

Thou hast cleaved a fountain and a stream, Thou hast dried up perennial flowings.

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

Thine the day, also Thine the night, Thou hast prepared a light giver -- the sun.

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

Thou hast set up all the borders of earth, Summer and winter Thou hast formed them.

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 -- an enemy reproached Jehovah, And a foolish people have despised 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.

Give not up to a company, The soul of Thy turtle-dove, The company of Thy poor ones forget not for ever.

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

Look attentively to the covenant, For the dark places of earth, Have been full of habitations of violence.

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

Let not the oppressed turn back ashamed, Let the poor and needy 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 Thy plea, Remember Thy reproach from a fool all the day.

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 voice of Thine adversaries, The noise of Thy withstanders is going up continually!