New International Version NIV
New Revised Standard NRS
1 O God, why have you rejected us forever? Why does your anger smolder against 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 nation you purchased long ago, the people of your inheritance, whom you redeemed— Mount Zion, where you dwelt.
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Remember your congregation, which you acquired long ago, which you redeemed to be the tribe of your heritage. Remember Mount Zion, where you came to dwell.
3 Turn your steps toward these everlasting ruins, all this destruction the enemy has brought on the sanctuary.
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Direct your steps to the perpetual ruins; the enemy has destroyed everything in the sanctuary.
4 Your foes roared in the place where you met with us; they set up their standards as signs.
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Your foes have roared within your holy place; they set up their emblems there.
5 They behaved like men wielding axes to cut through a thicket of trees.
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At the upper entrance they hacked the wooden trellis with axes.
6 They smashed all the carved paneling with their axes and hatchets.
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And then, with hatchets and hammers, they smashed all its carved work.
7 They burned your sanctuary to the ground; they defiled the dwelling place of your Name.
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They set your sanctuary on fire; they desecrated the dwelling place of your name, bringing it to the ground.
8 They said in their hearts, “We will crush them completely!” 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 are given no signs from God; no prophets are left, and none of us knows how long this will be.
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We do not see our emblems; there is no longer any prophet, and there is no one among us who knows how long.
10 How long will the enemy mock you, God? Will the foe revile your name 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 hand, your right hand? Take it from the folds of your garment and destroy them!
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Why do you hold back your hand; why do you keep your hand in your bosom?
12 But God is my King from long ago; he brings salvation on the earth.
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Yet God my King is from of old, working salvation in the earth.
13 It was you who split open the sea by your power; you broke the heads of the monster in the waters.
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You divided the sea by your might; you broke the heads of the dragons in the waters.
14 It was you who crushed the heads of Leviathan and gave it as food to the creatures of the desert.
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You crushed the heads of Leviathan; you gave him as food for the creatures of the wilderness.
15 It was you who opened up springs and streams; you dried up the ever-flowing rivers.
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You cut openings for springs and torrents; you dried up ever-flowing streams.
16 The day is yours, and yours also the night; you established the sun and moon.
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Yours is the day, yours also the night; you established the luminaries and the sun.
17 It was you who set all the boundaries of the earth; you made both summer and winter.
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You have fixed all the bounds of the earth; you made summer and winter.
18 Remember how the enemy has mocked you, LORD, how foolish people have reviled your name.
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Remember this, O Lord, how the enemy scoffs, and an impious people reviles your name.
19 Do not hand over the life of your dove to wild beasts; do not forget the lives of your afflicted people forever.
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Do not deliver the soul of your dove to the wild animals; do not forget the life of your poor forever.
20 Have regard for your covenant, because haunts of violence fill the dark places of the land.
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Have regard for your covenant, for the dark places of the land are full of the haunts of violence.
21 Do not let the oppressed retreat in disgrace; may the poor and needy praise your name.
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Do not let the downtrodden be put to shame; let the poor and needy praise your name.
22 Rise up, O God, and defend your cause; remember how fools mock you all day long.
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Rise up, O God, plead your cause; remember how the impious scoff at you all day long.
23 Do not ignore the clamor of your adversaries, the uproar of your enemies, which rises continually.
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Do not forget the clamor of your foes, the uproar of your adversaries that goes up continually.
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.