HelpFinder Bible - Flipbook - Page 888
P S A LM 7 4
20
When you arise, O Lord,
you will laugh at their silly ideas
as a person laughs at dreams in the
morning.
21
Then I realized that my heart was bitter,
and I was all torn up inside.
I was so foolish and ignorant—
I must have seemed like a senseless
animal to you.
Yet I still belong to you;
you hold my right hand.
You guide me with your counsel,
leading me to a glorious destiny.
Whom have I in heaven but you?
I desire you more than anything on earth.
My health may fail, and my spirit may
grow weak,
but God remains the strength of
my heart;
he is mine forever.
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page 518
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Those who desert him will perish,
for you destroy those who abandon you.
But as for me, how good it is to be near God!
I have made the Sovereign Lord my
shelter,
and I will tell everyone about the
wonderful things you do.
74
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2
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A psalm* of Asaph.
O God, why have you rejected us so long?
Why is your anger so intense against the
sheep of your own pasture?
Remember that we are the people you chose
long ago,
the tribe you redeemed as your own
special possession!
And remember Jerusalem,* your home
here on earth.
Walk through the awful ruins of the city;
see how the enemy has destroyed your
sanctuary.
There your enemies shouted their victorious
battle cries;
there they set up their battle standards.
They swung their axes
like woodcutters in a forest.
With axes and picks,
they smashed the carved paneling.
They burned your sanctuary to the ground.
They defiled the place that bears your
name.
Then they thought, “Let’s destroy everything!”
So they burned down all the places where
God was worshiped.
We no longer see your miraculous signs.
All the prophets are gone,
and no one can tell us when it will end.
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How long, O God, will you allow our
enemies to insult you?
Will you let them dishonor your name
forever?
Why do you hold back your strong right
hand?
Unleash your powerful fist and destroy
them.
You, O God, are my king from ages past,
bringing salvation to the earth.
You split the sea by your strength
and smashed the heads of the sea
monsters.
You crushed the heads of Leviathan*
and let the desert animals eat him.
You caused the springs and streams to
gush forth,
and you dried up rivers that never run dry.
Both day and night belong to you;
you made the starlight* and the sun.
You set the boundaries of the earth,
and you made both summer and winter.
See how these enemies insult you, Lord.
A foolish nation has dishonored your
name.
Don’t let these wild beasts destroy your
turtledoves.
Don’t forget your suffering people forever.
Remember your covenant promises,
for the land is full of darkness and
violence!
Don’t let the downtrodden be humiliated
again.
Instead, let the poor and needy praise
your name.
Arise, O God, and defend your cause.
Remember how these fools insult you
all day long.
Don’t overlook what your enemies have said
or their growing uproar.
75
For the choir director: A psalm of Asaph.
A song to be sung to the tune “Do Not
Destroy!”
1
We thank you, O God!
We give thanks because you are near.
People everywhere tell of your wonderful
deeds.
2
God says, “At the time I have planned,
I will bring justice against the wicked.
When the earth quakes and its people live
in turmoil,
I am the one who keeps its foundations
firm.
Interlude
3
74:title Hebrew maskil. This may be a literary or musical
term. 74:2 Hebrew Mount Zion. 74:14 The identification of
Leviathan is disputed, ranging from an earthly creature to a
mythical sea monster in ancient literature. 74:16 Or moon;
Hebrew reads light.