Why Have You Rejected Us Forever?
(Psalm 79:1–13; Jeremiah 52:1–11)

מַשְׂכִּ֗יל (A Maskil) לְאָ֫סָ֥ף (of Asaph).

1לָמָ֣ה (Why), אֱ֭לֹהִים (O God), זָנַ֣חְתָּ (have You rejected us) לָנֶ֑צַח (forever)?

יֶעְשַׁ֥ן (Smolders) אַ֝פְּךָ֗ (Your anger)

בְּצֹ֣אן (against the flock) מַרְעִיתֶֽךָ׃ (of Your pasture)?

2  זְכֹ֤ר (Remember) עֲדָתְךָ֨׀ (Your congregation),

קָ֘נִ֤יתָ (You acquired) קֶּ֗דֶם (of old);

גָּ֭אַלְתָּ (You redeemed) שֵׁ֣בֶט (as the staff) נַחֲלָתֶ֑ךָ (of Your inheritance);

הַר־ (Mount) צִ֝יּ֗וֹן (Zion)— זֶ֤ה׀ (this) שָׁכַ֬נְתָּ (You have dwelt) בּֽוֹ׃ (in it).

3  הָרִ֣ימָה (Lift up) פְ֭עָמֶיךָ (Your steps) לְמַשֻּׁא֣וֹת (to the desolations) נֶ֑צַח (perpetual);

כָּל־ (to everything) הֵרַ֖ע (done wickedly) אוֹיֵ֣ב (by the enemy) בַּקֹּֽדֶשׁ׃ (in the sanctuary).

4  שָׁאֲג֣וּ (Have roared) צֹ֭רְרֶיךָ (Your adversaries) בְּקֶ֣רֶב (within) מוֹעֲדֶ֑ךָ (Your appointed place);

שָׂ֖מוּ (they have set up) אוֹתֹתָ֣ם (their signs) אֹתֽוֹת׃ (for signs).

5  יִ֭וָּדַע (He made himself known) כְּמֵבִ֣יא (like one bringing) לְמָ֑עְלָה (on high) בִּֽסֲבָךְ־ (against a thicket) עֵ֝֗ץ (of tree) קַרְדֻּמּֽוֹת׃ (axes)

6  וְעֵת (and now) פִּתּוּחֶ֣יהָ (its engravings) יָּ֑חַד (all) בְּכַשִּׁ֥יל (with ax) וְ֝כֵֽילַפֹּ֗ת (and hatchet) יַהֲלֹמֽוּן׃ (they strike down).

7  שִׁלְח֣וּ (They have sent) בָ֭אֵשׁ (into the fire) מִקְדָּשֶׁ֑ךָ (Your sanctuary) לָ֝אָ֗רֶץ (to the ground);

חִלְּל֥וּ (they have desecrated) מִֽשְׁכַּן־ (the dwelling place) שְׁמֶֽךָ׃ (of Your Name).

8  אָמְר֣וּ (They said) בְ֭לִבָּם (in their hearts),

נִינָ֣ם (Let us oppress them) יָ֑חַד (altogether).

שָׂרְפ֖וּ (They have burned) כָל־ (all) מוֹעֲדֵי־ (the appointed places)

אֵ֣ל (of God) בָּאָֽרֶץ׃ (in the land).

9  אֽוֹתֹתֵ֗ינוּ (Signs for us) לֹ֥א (not) רָ֫אִ֥ינוּ (we do see);

אֵֽין־ (there is not) ע֥וֹד (any longer) נָבִ֑יא (a prophet),

וְלֹֽא־ (and not) אִ֝תָּ֗נוּ (among us) יֹדֵ֥עַ (one knowing) עַד־ (until) מָֽה׃ (when this will continue).

10  עַד־ (Until) מָתַ֣י (when), אֱ֭לֹהִים (O God), יְחָ֣רֶף (reproach) צָ֑ר (the adversary)?

יְנָ֘אֵ֤ץ (Will revile) אוֹיֵ֖ב (the enemy) שִׁמְךָ֣ (Your name) לָנֶֽצַח׃ (forever)?

11  לָ֤מָּה (Why) תָשִׁ֣יב (do You turn back) יָ֭דְךָ (Your hand), וִֽימִינֶ֑ךָ (and Your right hand)?

מִקֶּ֖רֶב (From the midst) חוֹקְךָ (of Your bosom) כַלֵּֽה׃ (may You remove it).

12  וֵ֭אלֹהִים (And for God is) מַלְכִּ֣י (my King) מִקֶּ֑דֶם (from of old),

פֹּעֵ֥ל (working) יְ֝שׁוּע֗וֹת (salvation) בְּקֶ֣רֶב (in the midst) הָאָֽרֶץ׃ (of the earth).

13  אַתָּ֤ה (You) פוֹרַ֣רְתָּ (divided) בְעָזְּךָ֣ (by Your strength) יָ֑ם (the sea);

שִׁבַּ֖רְתָּ (You broke) רָאשֵׁ֥י (the heads) תַ֝נִּינִ֗ים (of the dragons) עַל־ (upon) הַמָּֽיִם׃ (the waters).

14  אַתָּ֣ה (You) רִ֭צַּצְתָּ (crushed) רָאשֵׁ֣י (the heads) לִוְיָתָ֑ן (of Leviathan)

תִּתְּנֶ֥נּוּ (You gave him) מַ֝אֲכָ֗ל (as food) לְעָ֣ם (to the people) לְצִיִּֽים׃ (of the dry places).

15  אַתָּ֣ה (You) בָ֭קַעְתָּ (burst open) מַעְיָ֣ן (spring) וָנָ֑חַל (and stream);

אַתָּ֥ה (You) ה֝וֹבַ֗שְׁתָּ (dried up) נַהֲר֥וֹת (the rivers) אֵיתָֽן׃ (enduring).

16  לְךָ֣ (To You is) י֭וֹם (the day); אַף־ (also), לְךָ֥ (to You is) לָ֑יְלָה (the night).

אַתָּ֥ה (You) הֲ֝כִינ֗וֹתָ (established both) מָא֥וֹר (the light) וָשָֽׁמֶשׁ׃ (and sun).

17  אַתָּ֣ה (You) הִ֭צַּבְתָּ (set) כָּל־ (all) גְּבוּל֣וֹת (the boundaries) אָ֑רֶץ (of the earth);

קַ֥יִץ (summer) וָ֝חֹ֗רֶף (and winter) אַתָּ֥ה (You) יְצַרְתָּם׃ (have formed them).

18  זְכָר־ (Remember) זֹ֗את (this): א֭וֹיֵב (An enemy) חֵרֵ֣ף׀ (has reproached), יְהוָ֑ה (YHWH),

וְעַ֥ם (and a people) נָ֝בָ֗ל (and a foolish) נִֽאֲצ֥וּ (have spurned) שְׁמֶֽךָ׃ (Your name).

19  אַל־ (Not) תִּתֵּ֣ן (should You give) לְ֭חַיַּת (to the wild beast) נֶ֣פֶשׁ (the soul) תּוֹרֶ֑ךָ (of Your dove);

חַיַּ֥ת (the life) עֲ֝נִיֶּ֗יךָ (of Your afflicted ones) אַל־ (do not) תִּשְׁכַּ֥ח (forget) לָנֶֽצַח׃ (forever).

20  הַבֵּ֥ט (Look) לַבְּרִ֑ית (to the covenant),

כִּ֥י (for) מָלְא֥וּ (are filled) מַחֲשַׁכֵּי־ (the dark places) אֶ֝֗רֶץ (of the earth) נְא֣וֹת (as habitations) חָמָֽס׃ (of violence).

21  אַל־ (Do not) יָשֹׁ֣ב (turn back) דַּ֣ךְ (the oppressed) נִכְלָ֑ם (having been disgraced);

עָנִ֥י (the afflicted) וְ֝אֶבְי֗וֹן (and needy ones) יְֽהַלְל֥וּ (let them praise) שְׁמֶֽךָ׃ (Your name).

22  קוּמָ֣ה (Arise), אֱ֭לֹהִים (O God), רִיבָ֣ה (defend) רִיבֶ֑ךָ (Your cause);

זְכֹ֥ר (remember) חֶרְפָּתְךָ֥ (the scorning of You) מִנִּי־ (from) נָ֝בָ֗ל (a fool) כָּל־ (all) הַיּֽוֹם׃ (the day).

23  אַל־ (Not) תִּ֭שְׁכַּח (shall You forget) ק֣וֹל (the voice) צֹרְרֶ֑יךָ (of Your enemies),

שְׁא֥וֹן (the uproar) קָ֝מֶ֗יךָ (of those rising against You) עֹלֶ֥ה (going up) תָמִֽיד׃ (continually).