Maschil of Asaph.
1 O GOD, why hast thou cast us off,
why doth thy rage endure?
forever smoking out against
the sheep of thy pasture?
2 Thy congregation call to mind
of old by thee purchast:
the rod of thine inheritance
which thou redeemed hast,
This mount Sion wherein thou dwell’st.
3 Lift up thy foot on high,
unto the desolations
of perpetuity:
Thy foe within the Sanctuary
hath done all lewd designs.
4 Amidst thy Church thy foes do roar:
their Banners set for signs.
5 The man that axes on thick trees
did lift up had renown:
6 But now with axe and mauls at once,
her carv’d works they beat down.
7 Thy sanctuaries into fire
they cast, the dwelling place
of thy name down unto the ground
prophanely they did raze.
8 Let us together them destroy,
thus in their hearts they said:
Gods Synagogues throughout the land
all in the flames they laid.
(2)
9 Our signs we see not, there’s no more
a Prophet us among:
nor with us any to be found
that understands how long.
10 How long shall the oppressing foe
o mighty God, defame?
thine enemy for evermore
shall he blaspheme thy name?
11 Why dost thou thus withdraw thine hand,
the right hand of thy strength?
out of thy bosom o do thou
draw it forth to the length.
12 Because the mighty God hath been
from ancient time my King,
in middest of the earth he is
salvation working.
13 Thou diddest by thy mighty power
divide the sea asunder:
the Dragons heads in pieces thou
didst break the waters under.
14 The heads of the Leviathan
thou into pieces brake:
to people that in deserts dwell
for meat thou didst him make.
15 Thou clav’st the fountain and the flood,
thou dri’dst up floods of might.
16 Thine is the day, and night is thine:
thou Sun prepar’st, and light.
17 Thou all the borders of the earth
hast constituted fast:
the summer and the winter cold
the same thou formed hast.
(3)
18 Remember this, the enemy
reproachfully doth blame,
o Lord, also the foolish folk
blasphemed have thy name.
19 O do not to the multitude
thy turtles soul deliver:
the congregation of thy poor
forget not thou forever.
20 Unto thy cov’nant have respect:
because the dark places
of th’ earth with habitations
are full of furiousness.
21 O let not the oppressed one
return away with shame:
o let the poor and needy one
give praise unto thy name.
22 Arise o God, plead thine own cause:
have thou in memory
how day by day the foolish man
with scorn reproacheth thee.
23 Thine enemies’ voice forget not thou:
the loud tumult of those
continually on high ascends
that rise thee to oppose.