New Century Version NCV
English Standard Version ESV
1 God, why have you rejected us for so long? Why are you angry with us, the sheep of your pasture?
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O God, why do you cast us off forever? Why does your anger smoke against the sheep of your pasture?
2 Remember the people you bought long ago. You saved us, and we are your very own. After all, you live on Mount Zion.
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Remember your congregation, which you have purchased of old, which you have redeemed to be the tribe of your heritage! Remember Mount Zion, where you have dwelt.
3 Make your way through these old ruins; the enemy wrecked everything in the Temple.
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Direct your steps to the perpetual ruins; the enemy has destroyed everything in the sanctuary!
4 Those who were against you shouted in your meeting place and raised their flags there.
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Your foes have roared in the midst of your meeting place; they set up their own signs for signs.
5 They came with axes raised as if to cut down a forest of trees.
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They were like those who swing axes in a forest of trees.
6 They smashed the carved panels with their axes and hatchets.
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And all its carved wood they broke down with hatchets and hammers.
7 They burned your Temple to the ground; they have made the place where you live unclean.
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They set your sanctuary on fire; they profaned the dwelling place of your name, bringing it down to the ground.
8 They thought, "We will completely crush them!" They burned every place where God was worshiped in the land.
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They said to themselves, “We will utterly subdue them”; they burned all the meeting places of God in the land.
9 We do not see any signs. There are no more prophets, and no one knows how long this will last.
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We do not see our signs; there is no longer any prophet, and there is none among us who knows how long.
10 God, how much longer will the enemy make fun of you? Will they insult you forever?
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How long, O God, is the foe to scoff? Is the enemy to revile your name forever?
11 Why do you hold back your power? Bring your power out in the open and destroy them!
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Why do you hold back your hand, your right hand? Take it from the fold of your garment and destroy them!
12 God, you have been our king for a long time. You bring salvation to the earth.
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Yet God my King is from of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth.
13 You split open the sea by your power and broke the heads of the sea monster.
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You divided the sea by your might; you broke the heads of the sea monsters on the waters.
14 You smashed the heads of the monster Leviathan and gave him to the desert creatures as food.
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You crushed the heads of Leviathan; you gave him as food for the creatures of the wilderness.
15 You opened up the springs and streams and made the flowing rivers run dry.
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You split open springs and brooks; you dried up ever-flowing streams.
16 Both the day and the night are yours; you made the sun and the moon.
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Yours is the day, yours also the night; you have established the heavenly lights and the sun.
17 You set all the limits on the earth; you created summer and winter.
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You have fixed all the boundaries of the earth; you have made summer and winter.
18 Lord, remember how the enemy insulted you. Remember how those foolish people made fun of you.
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Remember this, O Lord, how the enemy scoffs, and a foolish people reviles your name.
19 Do not give us, your doves, to those wild animals. Never forget your poor people.
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Do not deliver the soul of your dove to the wild beasts; do not forget the life of your poor forever.
20 Remember the agreement you made with us, because violence fills every dark corner of this land.
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Have regard for the covenant, for the dark places of the land are full of the habitations of violence.
21 Do not let your suffering people be disgraced. Let the poor and helpless praise you.
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Let not the downtrodden turn back in shame; let the poor and needy praise your name.
22 God, arise and defend yourself. Remember the insults that come from those foolish people all day long.
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Arise, O God, defend your cause; remember how the foolish scoff at you all the day!
23 Don't forget what your enemies said; don't forget their roar as they rise against you always.
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Do not forget the clamor of your foes, the uproar of those who rise against you, which goes up continually!