The Complete Jewish Bible CJB
New King James Version NKJV
1 A maskil of Asaf: Why have you rejected us forever, God, with your anger smoking against the sheep you once pastured?
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A Contemplation of Asaph. O God, why have You cast us off forever? Why does Your anger smoke against the sheep of Your pasture?
2 Remember your community, which you acquired long ago, the tribe you redeemed to be your very own. Remember Mount Tziyon, where you came to live.
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Remember Your congregation, which You have purchased of old, The tribe of Your inheritance, which You have redeemed-- This Mount Zion where You have dwelt.
3 Hurry your steps to these endless ruins, to the sanctuary devastated by the enemy.
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Lift up Your feet to the perpetual desolations. The enemy has damaged everything in the sanctuary.
4 The roar of your foes filled your meeting-place; they raised their own banners as a sign of their conquest.
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Your enemies roar in the midst of Your meeting place; They set up their banners for signs.
5 The place seemed like a thicket of trees when lumbermen hack away with their axes.
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They seem like men who lift up Axes among the thick trees.
6 With hatchet and hammer they banged away, smashing all the carved woodwork.
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And now they break down its carved work, all at once, With axes and hammers.
7 They set your sanctuary on fire, tore down and profaned the abode of your name.
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They have set fire to Your sanctuary; They have defiled the dwelling place of Your name to the ground.
8 They said to themselves, "We will oppress them completely."They have burned down all God's meeting-places in the land.
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They said in their hearts, "Let us destroy them altogether." They have burned up all the meeting places of God in the land.
9 We see no signs, there is no prophet any more; none of us knows how long it will last.
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We do not see our signs; There is no longer any prophet; Nor is there any among us who knows how long.
10 How much longer, God, will the foe jeer at us? Will the enemy insult your name forever?
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O God, how long will the adversary reproach? Will the enemy blaspheme Your name forever?
11 Why do you hold back your hand? Draw your right hand from your coat, and finish them off!
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Why do You withdraw Your hand, even Your right hand? Take it out of Your bosom and destroy them.
12 God has been my king from earliest times, acting to save throughout all the earth.
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For God is my King from of old, Working salvation in the midst of the earth.
13 By your strength you split the sea in two, in the water you smashed sea monsters' heads,
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You divided the sea by Your strength; You broke the heads of the sea serpents in the waters.
14 you crushed the heads of Livyatan and gave it as food to the creatures of the desert.
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You broke the heads of Leviathan in pieces, And gave him as food to the people inhabiting the wilderness.
15 You cut channels for springs and streams, you dried up rivers that had never failed.
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You broke open the fountain and the flood; You dried up mighty rivers.
16 The day is yours, and the night is yours; it was you who established light and sun.
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The day is Yours, the night also is Yours; You have prepared the light and the sun.
17 It was you who fixed all the limits of the earth, you made summer and winter.
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You have set all the borders of the earth; You have made summer and winter.
18 Remember how the enemy scoffs at ADONAI, how a brutish people insults your name.
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Remember this, that the enemy has reproached, O Lord, And that a foolish people has blasphemed Your name.
19 Don't hand over the soul of your dove to wild beasts, don't forget forever the life of your poor.
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Oh, do not deliver the life of Your turtledove to the wild beast! Do not forget the life of Your poor forever.
20 Look to the covenant, for the land's dark places are full of the haunts of violence.
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Have respect to the covenant; For the dark places of the earth are full of the haunts of cruelty.
21 Don't let the oppressed retreat in confusion; let the poor and needy praise your name.
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Oh, do not let the oppressed return ashamed! Let the poor and needy praise Your name.
22 Arise, God, and defend your cause; remember how brutish men insult you all day.
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Arise, O God, plead Your own cause; Remember how the foolish man reproaches You daily.
23 Don't forget what your foes are saying, the ever-rising uproar of your adversaries.
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Do not forget the voice of Your enemies; The tumult of those who rise up against You increases continually.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.