Why Have You Rejected Us Forever?
(Psalm 79:1-13; Jeremiah 52:1-11)
1{Maschil of Asaph.} O God, why hast thou cast us off for ever? why doth thine anger smoke against the sheep of thy pasture?
2Remember thy congregation, which thou hast purchased of old; the rod of thine inheritance, which thou hast redeemed; this mount Zion, wherein thou hast dwelt.
3Lift up thy feet unto the perpetual desolations; even all that the enemy hath done wickedly in the sanctuary.
4Thine enemies roar in the midst of thy congregations; they set up their ensigns for signs.
5A man was famous according as he had lifted up axes upon the thick trees.
6But now they break down the carved work thereof at once with axes and hammers.
7They have cast fire into thy sanctuary, they have defiled by casting down the dwelling place of thy name to the ground.
8They said in their hearts, Let us destroy them together: they have burned up all the synagogues of God in the land.
9We see not our signs: there is no more any prophet: neither is there among us any that knoweth how long.
10O God, how long shall the adversary reproach? shall the enemy blaspheme thy name for ever?
11Why withdrawest thou thy hand, even thy right hand? pluck it out of thy bosom.
12For God is my King of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth.
13Thou didst divide the sea by thy strength: thou brakest the heads of the dragons in the waters.
14Thou brakest the heads of leviathan in pieces, and gavest him to be meat to the people inhabiting the wilderness.
15Thou didst cleave the fountain and the flood: thou driedst up mighty rivers.
16The day is thine, the night also is thine: thou hast prepared the light and the sun.
17Thou hast set all the borders of the earth: thou hast made summer and winter.
18Remember this, that the enemy hath reproached, O LORD, and that the foolish people have blasphemed thy name.
19O deliver not the soul of thy turtledove unto the multitude of the wicked: forget not the congregation of thy poor for ever.
20Have respect unto the covenant: for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty.
21O let not the oppressed return ashamed: let the poor and needy praise thy name.
22Arise, O God, plead thine own cause: remember how the foolish man reproacheth thee daily.
23Forget not the voice of thine enemies: the tumult of those that rise up against thee increaseth continually.
King James Bible
Text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.
Why Have You Rejected Us Forever?
(Psalm 79:1–13; Jeremiah 52:1–11)
1 A contemplation by Asaph. God, why have you rejected us forever? Why does your anger smolder against the sheep of your pasture?
2 Remember your congregation, which you purchased of old, which you have redeemed to be the tribe of your inheritance; Mount Zion, in which you have lived.
3 Lift up your feet to the perpetual ruins, all the evil that the enemy has done in the sanctuary.
4 Your adversaries have roared in the midst of your assembly. They have set up their standards as signs.
5 They behaved like men wielding axes, cutting through a thicket of trees.
6 Now they break all its carved work down with hatchet and hammers.
7 They have burned your sanctuary to the ground. They have profaned the dwelling place of your Name.
8 They said in their heart, “We will crush them completely.” They have burned up all the places in the land where God was worshiped.
9 We see no miraculous signs. There is no longer any prophet, neither is there among us anyone who knows how long.
10 How long, God, shall the adversary reproach? Shall the enemy blaspheme your name forever?
11 Why do you draw back your hand, even your right hand? Take it out of your pocket and consume them!
12 Yet God is my King of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth.
13 You divided the sea by your strength. You broke the heads of the sea monsters in the waters.
14 You broke the heads of Leviathan in pieces. You gave him as food to people and desert creatures.
15 You opened up spring and stream. You dried up mighty rivers.
16 The day is yours, the night is also yours. You have prepared the light and the sun.
17 You have set all the boundaries of the earth. You have made summer and winter.
18 Remember this, that the enemy has mocked you, Yahweh. Foolish people have blasphemed your name.
19 Don’t deliver the soul of your dove to wild beasts. Don’t forget the life of your poor forever.
20 Honor your covenant, for haunts of violence fill the dark places of the earth.
21 Don’t let the oppressed return ashamed. Let the poor and needy praise your name.
22 Arise, God! Plead your own cause. Remember how the foolish man mocks you all day.
23 Don’t forget the voice of your adversaries. The tumult of those who rise up against you ascends continually.
Why Have You Rejected Us Forever?
(Psalm 79:1–13; Jeremiah 52:1–11)
A Maskil a of Asaph.
1Why have You rejected us forever, O God?
Why does Your anger smolder
against the sheep of Your pasture?
2 Remember Your congregation,
which You purchased long ago
and redeemed as the tribe of Your inheritance—
Mount Zion where You dwell.
3 Turn Your steps to the everlasting ruins,
to everything in the sanctuary the enemy has destroyed.
4 Your foes have roared within Your meeting place;
they have unfurled their banners as signs,
5 like men wielding axes in a thicket of trees
6 and smashing all the carvings with hatchets and picks.
7 They have burned Your sanctuary to the ground;
they have defiled the dwelling place of Your Name.
8 They said in their hearts,
“We will crush them completely.”
They burned down every place
where God met us in the land.
9 There are no signs for us to see.
There is no longer any prophet.
And none of us knows how long this will last.
10 How long, O God, will the enemy taunt You?
Will the foe revile Your name forever?
11 Why do You withdraw Your strong right hand?
Stretch it out to destroy them! b
12 Yet God is my King from ancient times,
working salvation on the earth.
13 You divided the sea by Your strength;
You smashed the heads of the dragons of the sea;
14 You crushed the heads of Leviathan;
You fed him to the creatures of the desert.
15 You broke open the fountain and the flood;
You dried up the ever-flowing rivers.
16 The day is Yours, and also the night;
You established the moon c and the sun.
17 You set all the boundaries of the earth;
You made the summer and winter.
18 Remember how the enemy has mocked You, O LORD,
how a foolish people has spurned Your name.
19 Do not deliver the soul of Your dove to beasts;
do not forget the lives of Your afflicted forever.
20 Consider Your covenant,
for haunts of violence fill the dark places of the land.
21 Do not let the oppressed retreat in shame;
may the poor and needy praise Your name.
22 Rise up, O God; defend Your cause!
Remember how the fool mocks You all day long.
23 Do not disregard the clamor of Your adversaries,
the uproar of Your enemies that ascends continually.
Footnotes:
1 a Maskil is probably a musical or liturgical term; used for Psalms 32, 42, 44–45, 52–55, 74, 78, 88–89, and 142.
11 b Literally From the midst of Your bosom destroy them! or From the midst of Your bosom remove it!
16 c Literally the light
Why Have You Rejected Us Forever?
(Psalm 79:1-13; Jeremiah 52:1-11)
1An Instruction of Asaph. Why, O God, hast Thou cast off for ever? Thine anger smoketh against the flock of Thy pasture.
2Remember Thy company. Thou didst purchase of old, Thou didst redeem the rod of Thy inheritance, This mount Zion -- Thou didst dwell in it.
3Lift up Thy steps to the perpetual desolations, Everything the enemy did wickedly in the sanctuary.
4Roared have thine adversaries, In the midst of Thy meeting-places, They have set their ensigns as ensigns.
5He is known as one bringing in on high Against a thicket of wood -- axes.
6And now, its carvings together With axe and hatchet they break down,
7They have sent into fire Thy sanctuary, to the earth they polluted the tabernacle of Thy name,
8They said in their hearts, 'Let us oppress them together,' They did burn all the meeting-places of God in the land.
9Our ensigns we have not seen, There is no more a prophet, Nor with us is one knowing how long.
10Till when, O God, doth an adversary reproach? Doth an enemy despise thy name for ever?
11Why dost Thou turn back Thy hand, Even Thy right hand? From the midst of Thy bosom remove it.
12And God is my king of old, Working salvation in the midst of the earth.
13Thou hast broken by Thy strength a sea -monster, Thou hast shivered Heads of dragons by the waters,
14Thou hast broken the heads of leviathan, Thou makest him food, For the people of the dry places.
15Thou hast cleaved a fountain and a stream, Thou hast dried up perennial flowings.
16Thine is the day, also Thine is the night, Thou hast prepared a light giver -- the sun.
17Thou hast set up all the borders of earth, Summer and winter Thou hast formed them.
18Remember this -- an enemy reproached Jehovah, And a foolish people have despised Thy name.
19Give not up to a company, The soul of Thy turtle-dove, The company of Thy poor ones forget not for ever.
20Look attentively to the covenant, For the dark places of earth, Have been full of habitations of violence.
21Let not the oppressed turn back ashamed, Let the poor and needy praise Thy name,
22Arise, O God, plead Thy plea, Remember Thy reproach from a fool all the day.
23Forget not the voice of Thine adversaries, The noise of Thy withstanders is going up continually!
