THE *BOOK OF
PSALMS.
Psalm 74 ©
The church of God laments about the fearful devastations which the enemies had made everywhere, especially in the temple and synagogues, and reciting to Him the cruelty and blasphemies of the enemy, the present want of God’s tokens of grace, His former wonders and mercies, the afflicted estate of His beloved and helpless church, and the steadfastness of His covenant, prays for deliverance unto God’s glory and the enemies’ confusion.
1Maschil 2of Asaph.
O GOD, why hast thou cast us off 3for ever? why doth thine 4anger smoke against the 5sheep of thy pasture?
Remember thy 6congregation, which thou hast purchased of old; the 7rod of thine inheritance, which thou hast redeemed; this mount Zion, wherein thou hast dwelt.
Lift up thy 8feet unto the 9perpetual desolations; even all that the enemy 10hath done wickedly in the sanctuary.
Thine enemies 11roar in the midst of thy 12congregations; they set up 13their ensigns for signs.
A man was 14famous according 15as he had lifted up axes upon the thick 16trees.
But now they break down 17the carved work thereof at once with 18axes and hammers.
Theya have 19cast fire into thy sanctuary, they have defiled by casting down the dwelling place of thy name 20to the ground.
They said in their hearts, Let us 21destroy them together: they have burned up all the 22synagogues of God in the land.
We see not our 23signs: there is no more any 24prophet: neither is there among us any that knoweth 25how long.
O God, how long shall the adversary reproach? shall the enemy blaspheme thy name 26for ever?
Why withdrawest thou thy hand, even thy 27right hand? 28pluck it out of 29thy bosom.
For God is my King of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth.
Thoub didst divide the 30sea by thy strength: thou brakest the heads of the 31dragonsc in the waters.
Thou brakest the 32heads 33of leviathan in pieces, and gavest him to be meat 34to the people inhabiting the wilderness.
Thoud didst 35cleave the fountain and the flood: thoue driedst up 36mighty 37rivers.
The day is thine, the night also is thine: thouf hast prepared the 38light and the sun.
Thou hast set all the borders of the earth: thou hast made summer and winter.
Remember this, that 39the enemy hath reproached, O LORD, and that the foolish people have blasphemed thy name.
O deliver not the 40soul of thy turtledove 41unto the multitude of the wicked: forget not the 42congregation of thy poor 43for ever.
Have respect unto the 44covenant: for the 45dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty.
O let not the oppressed return ashamed: let the poor and needy praise thy name.
Arise, O God, 46plead thine own cause: remember how the foolish man 47reproacheth thee daily.
Forget not 48the voice of thine enemies: the tumult of those that rise up against thee 49increaseth continually.