Why Have You Rejected Us Forever?

(Psalm 79:1-13; Jeremiah 52:1-11)

1Maschil of Asaph. O God, why hast thou cast us off for ever? why doth thy anger smoke against the sheep of thy pasture?

2Remember thy congregation, which thou hast purchased of old: the rod of thy inheritance, which thou hast redeemed; this mount Zion, in which thou hast dwelt.

3Lift up thy feet to the perpetual desolations; even all that the enemy hath done wickedly in the sanctuary.

4Thy enemies roar in the midst of thy congregations; they set up their ensigns for signs.

5A man was famous according as he had lifted up axes upon the thick trees.

6But now they break down the carved work of it at once with axes and hammers.

7They have cast fire into thy sanctuary, they have defiled by casting down the dwelling-place of thy name to the ground.

8They said in their hearts, Let us destroy them together: they have burned up all the synagogues of God in the land.

9We see not our signs: there is no more any prophet: neither is there among us any that knoweth how long.

10O God, how long shall the adversary reproach? shall the enemy blaspheme thy name for ever?

11Why withdrawest thou thy hand, even thy right hand? pluck it out of thy bosom.

12For God is my King of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth.

13Thou didst divide the sea by thy strength: thou didst break the heads of the dragons in the waters.

14Thou didst break the head of leviathan in pieces, and didst give him to be food to the people inhabiting the wilderness.

15Thou didst cleave the fountain and the flood: thou didst dry up mighty rivers.

16The day is thine, the night also is thine: thou hast prepared the light and the sun.

17Thou hast set all the borders of the earth: thou hast made summer and winter.

18Remember this, the enemy hath reproached, O LORD, and the foolish people have blasphemed thy name.

19O deliver not the soul of thy turtle dove to the multitude of the wicked: forget not the congregation of thy poor for ever.

20Have respect to the covenant: for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty.

21O let not the oppressed return ashamed: let the poor and needy praise thy name.

22Arise, O God, plead thy own cause: remember how the foolish man reproacheth thee daily.

23Forget not the voice of thy enemies: the tumult of those that rise against thee increaseth continually.