New Revised Standard NRS
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 O God, why do you cast us off forever? Why does your anger smoke against the sheep of your pasture?
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<Maschil. Of Asaph.> Of God, why have you put us away from you for ever? why is the fire of your wrath smoking against the sheep who are your care?
2 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.
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Keep in mind your band of worshippers, for whom you gave payment in the days which are past, whom you took for yourself as the people of your heritage; even this mountain of Zion, which has been your resting-place.
3 Direct your steps to the perpetual ruins; the enemy has destroyed everything in the sanctuary.
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Go up and see the unending destruction; all the evil which your haters have done in the holy place;
4 Your foes have roared within your holy place; they set up their emblems there.
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Sending out their voices like lions among your worshippers; they have put up their signs to be seen.
5 At the upper entrance they hacked the wooden trellis with axes.
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They are cutting down, like a man whose blade is lifted up against the thick trees.
6 And then, with hatchets and hammers, they smashed all its carved work.
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Your doors are broken down with hammers and iron blades.
7 They set your sanctuary on fire; they desecrated the dwelling place of your name, bringing it to the ground.
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They have put on fire your holy place; they have made the place of your name unclean, pulling it down to the earth.
8 They said to themselves, "We will utterly subdue them"; they burned all the meeting places of God in the land.
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They have said in their hearts, Let us put an end to them all together; they have given over to the fire all God's places of worship in the land.
9 We do not see our emblems; there is no longer any prophet, and there is no one among us who knows how long.
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We do not see our signs: there is no longer any prophet, or anyone among us to say how long.
10 How long, O God, is the foe to scoff? Is the enemy to revile your name forever?
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O God, how long will those who are against us say cruel things? will the hater go on looking down on your name for ever?
11 Why do you hold back your hand; why do you keep your hand in your bosom?
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Why are you keeping back your hand, and covering your right hand in your robe?
12 Yet God my King is from of old, working salvation in the earth.
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For from the past God is my King, working salvation in the earth.
13 You divided the sea by your might; you broke the heads of the dragons in the waters.
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The sea was parted in two by your strength; the heads of the great sea-beasts were broken.
14 You crushed the heads of Leviathan; you gave him as food for the creatures of the wilderness.
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The heads of the great snake were crushed by you; you gave them as food to the fishes of the sea.
15 You cut openings for springs and torrents; you dried up ever-flowing streams.
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You made valleys for fountains and springs; you made the ever-flowing rivers dry.
16 Yours is the day, yours also the night; you established the luminaries and the sun.
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The day is yours and the night is yours: you made the light and the sun.
17 You have fixed all the bounds of the earth; you made summer and winter.
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By you all the limits of the earth were fixed; you have made summer and winter.
18 Remember this, O Lord, how the enemy scoffs, and an impious people reviles your name.
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Keep this in mind, O Lord, that your haters have said cruel things, and that your name has been looked down on by a people of evil behaviour.
19 Do not deliver the soul of your dove to the wild animals; do not forget the life of your poor forever.
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O give not the soul of your dove to the hawk; let not the life of the poor go out of your memory for ever.
20 Have regard for your covenant, for the dark places of the land are full of the haunts of violence.
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Keep in mind your undertaking; for the dark places of the earth are full of pride and cruel acts.
21 Do not let the downtrodden be put to shame; let the poor and needy praise your name.
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O let not the crushed be turned back in shame; let the low man and the poor give praise to your name.
22 Rise up, O God, plead your cause; remember how the impious scoff at you all day long.
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Up! O God, be the judge of your cause; keep in mind the bitter things which the man of evil behaviour says against you every day.
23 Do not forget the clamor of your foes, the uproar of your adversaries that goes up continually.
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Keep in mind the voice of your haters; the outcry of those who come against you goes up every day.
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.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.