1 O God, why have You turned away from us forever? Why does Your anger burn against the sheep in Your fields?

¶ 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 people that You bought a long time ago. You made them free to be the family of Your promise, and Mount Zion, where You have lived.

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 T urn Your steps toward this place that has been destroyed forever. Those who hate You have destroyed all that is in the holy place.

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

4 T hose who hate You have called out in the center of Your meeting place. They have set up their flags to show that they have won.

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

5 T hey acted like men taking up axes against a group of trees.

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 ll of its fine work has been broken with axes and sticks.

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

7 T hey have burned Your holy place to the dust. They have made dirty the house of Your name.

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 destroy all of these places!” They have burned all the meeting places where God was worshiped 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 any special things happening. There is no longer anyone who speaks for God. And none of us knows how long this will be.

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 will those who hate You laugh at the truth? Will they speak against Your name forever?

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

11 W hy do You take Your hand away, even Your right hand? Put it out and destroy them!

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

12 G od is still my King from long ago. He does saving works upon the earth.

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

13 Y ou divided the sea by Your power. You broke the heads of the large 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 the Leviathan. And You fed him to the animals of the desert.

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

15 I t was You Who opened up the earth for water to flow out. And You dried up rivers that flow forever.

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

16 T he day is Yours. And the night is Yours. You have set the light and the sun in their places.

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

17 Y ou have divided all the lands and seas and nations 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 those who hate You have laughed at the truth, O Lord. Foolish people have spoken against Your name.

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

19 D o not give the life of Your dove over to the wild animal. Do not forget the lives of Your troubled people forever.

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

20 T hink about Your agreement. For the dark places of the land are full of fighting.

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

21 D o not let those who suffer under a bad power return without honor. Let those who suffer and those who are in need praise Your name.

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

22 R ise up, O God. Stand up for Your rights. Remember how the foolish man speaks against You all day long.

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

23 D o not forget the voice of those who hate You, the noise that comes without stopping from those who rise against You.

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