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

2 R emember 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 L ift up thy feet unto the eternal desolations, unto every enemy who has done wickedly in the sanctuary.

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

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

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

7 T hey 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 destroy them at once; they have burned up all the meeting places of the people of God in the earth.

9 W e 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 shall the adversary reproach? Shall the enemy blaspheme thy name for ever?

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

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

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

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

15 T hou didst cleave the fountain and the river; thou didst dry up mighty rivers.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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