A contemplation of Asaph. O God, why have You rejected us forever? Why does Your anger burn against the sheep of Your pasture?

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

Remember Your congregation, which You purchased of old, the tribe of Your inheritance, which You redeemed—Mount Zion, where You have dwelled.

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

Lift up Your steps toward the perpetual ruins; the enemy has done all this evil in the sanctuary.

Lift up thy feet unto the perpetual desolations; even all that the enemy hath done wickedly in the sanctuary.

Your adversaries have roared in the midst of Your assembly place; they have set up their signs as signs.

Thine enemies roar in the midst of thy congregations; they set up their ensigns for signs.

It appeared like one lifting up axes against a thick forest.

A man was famous according as he had lifted up axes upon the thick trees.

Now they smash all its carved work together with hatchets and hammers.

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

They set Your sanctuary on fire; they profaned the dwelling place of Your name, bringing it to the ground.

They have cast fire into thy sanctuary, they have defiled by casting down the dwelling place of thy name to the ground.

They said in their hearts, 'Let us completely subdue them!' They burned all the meeting places of God in the land.

They said in their hearts, Let us destroy them together: they have burned up all the synagogues of God in the land.

We no longer see our signs; there is no more prophet, and no one among us knows how long.

We see not our signs: there is no more any prophet: neither is there among us any that knoweth how long.

How long, O God, will the enemy reproach? Will the adversary despise Your name forever?

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

Why do You hold back Your hand, even Your right hand? Take it from Your bosom and destroy them!

Why withdrawest thou thy hand, even thy right hand? pluck it out of thy bosom.

Yet God is my King from ancient times, working salvation in the midst of the earth.

For God is my King of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth.

You divided the sea by Your strength; You broke the heads of the sea monsters in the waters.

Thou didst divide the sea by thy strength: thou brakest the heads of the dragons in the waters.

You crushed the heads of Leviathan; You gave him as food to the creatures of the desert.

Thou brakest the heads of leviathan in pieces, and gavest him to be meat to the people inhabiting the wilderness.

You opened up springs and streams; You dried up ever-flowing rivers.

Thou didst cleave the fountain and the flood: thou driedst up mighty rivers.

The day is Yours, and also the night; You established the light and the sun.

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

You set all the boundaries of the earth; You formed summer and winter.

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

Remember this, O LORD, that the enemy has insulted You, and a foolish people has despised Your name.

Remember this, that the enemy hath reproached, O LORD, and that the foolish people have blasphemed thy name.

Do not give the life of Your turtledove to the wild beasts; do not forget the lives of Your afflicted ones forever.

O deliver not the soul of thy turtledove unto the multitude of the wicked: forget not the congregation of thy poor for ever.

Consider the covenant, for the dark places of the earth are filled with the dens of violence.

Have respect unto the covenant: for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty.

Do not let the oppressed retreat in humiliation; let the poor and needy praise Your name.

O let not the oppressed return ashamed: let the poor and needy praise thy name.

Arise, O God, and defend Your cause; remember how fools insult You all day long.

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

Do not forget the clamor of Your adversaries, the uproar of those who rise against You, which continually ascends.

Forget not the voice of thine enemies: the tumult of those that rise up against thee increaseth continually.