1 Maschil of Asaph. O God, why hast thou cast [us] off for ever? [Why] does thine anger smoke against the sheep of thy pasture?
2 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 Lift up thy feet unto the eternal desolations, unto every enemy who has done wickedly in the sanctuary.
4 Thine enemies have roared in the midst of thy assemblies; they set up their [own] banners [for] signs.
5 Renowned, as one on the way to heaven, he who lifted up axes upon the thick trees [for the work of the sanctuary].
6 But now they break down all the carved work thereof with axes and hammers.
7 They have set fire to thy sanctuaries; they have defiled the tabernacle of thy name [in the] earth.
8 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 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 shall the adversary reproach? Shall the enemy blaspheme thy name for ever?
11 Why 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 Thou didst divide the sea by thy strength; thou didst break the heads of the dragons in the waters.
14 Thou didst break the heads of leviathan in pieces [and] didst give him [to be] food to the people inhabiting the wilderness.
15 Thou didst cleave the fountain and the river; thou didst dry up mighty rivers.
16 The day [is] thine, the night also [is] thine; thou hast prepared the light and the sun.
17 Thou 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 Have 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 Arise, O God, plead thine own cause; remember how the foolish man reproaches thee daily.
23 Forget not the voices of thine enemies; the tumult of those that rise up against thee increases continually.: