Psalm 74
1 O God, why hast thou cast us off for ever? why doth thine anger smoke against the sheep of thy pasture?
1 O God, wherefore art thou absent from | us so | long? ||
why is thy wrath so | hot a•gainst the | 3 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, wherein thou hast dwelt.
2 O think upon thy congregation, * whom thou hast purchased, and re- | deemed of | old. ||
3 Think upon the tribe of thine inheritance, and Mount | Sion, • where- | in • thou hast | dwelt. ||
3 Lift up thy feet unto the perpetual desolations; even all that the enemy hath done wickedly in the sanctuary.
4 Thine enemies roar in the midst of thy congregations; they set up their ensigns for signs.
4 3 Lift | up thy | feet, ||
that thou mayest utterly destroy every enemy, 3 which | hath done | evil • in thy | sanc•tuary. ||
5 A man was famous according as he had lifted up axes upon the thick trees.
5 Thine adversaries roar in the midst of thy | congre- | gations, ||
and set | up their | 3 banners for | tokens. ||
6 But now they break down the carved work thereof at once with axes and hammers.
6 He that hewed timber afore out of the thick trees, * was known to bring it to an | 3 excellent | work. ||
7 But now they break down all the carved | work there•of with | 3 axes and | hammers. ||
7 They have cast fire into thy sanctuary, they have defiled by casting down the dwelling place of thy name to the ground.
8 They said in their hearts, Let us destroy them together: they have burned up all the synagogues of God in the land.
8 They have set fire upon thy | holy | places, ||
and have defiled the dwelling-place of thy | Name, • even | 3 unto the | ground. ||
9 We see not our signs: there is no more any prophet: neither is there among us any that knoweth how long.
9 Yea, they said in their hearts, Let us make havoc of them | alto- | gether: ||
thus have they burnt up all the | 3 houses of | God • in the | land. ||
10 O God, how long shall the adversary reproach? shall the enemy blaspheme thy name for ever?
10 We 3 see | not our | tokens; ||
there is not one prophet more; * no, not one is there among us, that under- | standeth | any | more. ||
11 Why withdrawest thou thy hand, even thy right hand? pluck it out of thy bosom.
11 O God, how long shall the adversary 3 do | this dis- | honour? ||
shall the enemy blas- | pheme thy | Name for | ever? ||
12 For God is my King of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth.
12 Why with- | drawest • thou thy | hand? ||
why pluckest thou not thy right hand out of thy | bosom • to con- | sume the | ene•my? ||
13 Thou didst divide the sea by thy strength: thou brakest the heads of the dragons in the waters.
13 For God is my | King of | old; ||
the help that is done upon | earth, he | doeth • it him- | self. ||
14 Thou brakest the heads of leviathan in pieces, and gavest him to be meat to the people inhabiting the wilderness.
14 Thou didst divide the 3 sea | through thy | power; ||
thou brakest the | heads • of the | dragons • in the | waters. ||
15 Thou didst cleave the fountain and the flood: thou driedst up mighty rivers.
15 Thou smotest the heads of le- | via•than in | pieces, ||
and gavest him to be | meat • for the | people • of the | wilder•ness. ||
16 The day is thine, the night also is thine: thou hast prepared the light and the sun.
16 Thou broughtest out fountains and waters out of the | hard | rocks; ||
thou | 3 driedst up | mighty | waters. ||
17 Thou hast set all the borders of the earth: thou hast made summer and winter.
17 The day is | thine, • and the | night is • thine; ||
thou hast pre- | pared the | light • and the | sun. ||
18 Remember this, that the enemy hath reproached, O Lord, and that the foolish people have blasphemed thy name.
18 Thou hast set all the | borders • of the | earth; ||
3 thou | hast made | summer • and | winter. ||
19 O deliver not the soul of thy turtledove unto the multitude of the wicked: forget not the congregation of thy poor for ever.
19 Remember this, O Lord, how the | enemy • hath re- | buked; ||
and how the foolish | people • hath blas- | phemed thy | Name. ||
20 Have respect unto the covenant: for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty.
20 O deliver not the soul of thy turtle-dove unto the | multi•tude of the | ene•mies; ||
and forget not the congre- | gation • of the | poor for | ever. ||
21 O let not the oppressed return ashamed: let the poor and needy praise thy name.
21 Look up- | on the | cove•nant; ||
for all the earth is full of | darkness • and | cruel • habi- | tations. ||
22 Arise, O God, plead thine own cause: remember how the foolish man reproacheth thee daily.
22 O let not the simple go a- | way a- | shamed; ||
but let the poor and | needy • give | praise un•to thy | Name. ||
23 Forget not the voice of thine enemies: the tumult of those that rise up against thee increaseth continually.
23 Arise, O God, main- | tain thine • own | cause; ||
remember how the | foolish • man blas- | 3 phemeth thee | daily. ||
24 Forget not the | 3 voice of thine | ene•mies: ||
the presumption of them that hate thee in- | creaseth • ever | more and | more. ||
About the Pointing
The text of the Coverdale Psalter follows the 1928 American Book of Common Prayer. The pointing, suitably adapted, is taken from Charles Macpherson, Edward C. Bairstow, and Percy C. Buck, The English Psalter (Novello & Co., 1925).