An Appeal against the Devastation of the Land by the Enemy.

A [a]Maskil of Asaph.

1God, why have You rejected us forever?

Why does Your anger smoke against the sheep of Your [b]pasture?

2Remember Your congregation, which You purchased of old,

Which You have redeemed to be the tribe of Your inheritance;

And this Mount Zion, where You have dwelt.

3[c]Step toward the [d]irreparable ruins;

The enemy has damaged everything in the sanctuary.

4Your adversaries have roared in the midst of Your meeting place;

They have set up their own signs as signs.

5It [e]seems like one bringing up

His axe into a [f]forest of trees.

6And now they break down [g]all its carved work

With axe and hammers.

7They have [h]burned Your sanctuary [i]to the ground;

They have defiled the dwelling place of Your name.

8They said in their heart, “Let’s [j]completely [k]subdue them.”

They have burned all the meeting places of God in the land.

9We do not see our signs;

There is no longer any prophet,

Nor is there anyone among us who knows how long.

10How long, God, will the enemy taunt You?

Shall the enemy treat Your name disrespectfully forever?

11Why do You withdraw Your hand, even Your right hand?

Extend it from Your chest and destroy them!

12Yet God is my King from long ago,

Who performs acts of salvation in the midst of the earth.

13[l]You divided the sea by Your strength;

[m]You broke the heads of the sea monsters [n]in the waters.

14[o]You crushed the heads of [p]Leviathan;

You gave him as food for the [q]creatures of the wilderness.

15[r]You broke open springs and torrents;

[s]You dried up ever-flowing streams.

16Yours is the day, Yours also is the night;

[t]You have prepared the [u]light and the sun.

17[v]You have established all the boundaries of the earth;

[w]You have [x]created summer and winter.

18Remember this, [y]LORD, that the enemy has taunted You,

And a foolish people has treated Your name disrespectfully.

19Do not give the soul of Your turtledove to the wild animal;

Do not forget the life of Your afflicted forever.

20Consider the covenant;

For the dark places of the land are full of the places of violence.

21May the oppressed person not return dishonored;

May the afflicted and the needy praise Your name.

22Arise, God, and plead Your own cause;

Remember [z]how the foolish person taunts You all day long.

23Do not forget the voice of Your adversaries,

The uproar of those who rise against You, which ascends continually.