¹A well-written song by Asaph. Why, O God, have you permanently rejected us? Why does your anger burn against the sheep of your pasture? ²Remember your people whom you acquired in ancient times, whom you rescued so they could be your very own nation, as well as Mount Zion, where you dwell. ³Hurry to the permanent ruins, and to all the damage the enemy has done to the temple.⁴Your enemies roar in the middle of your sanctuary; they set up their battle flags. ⁵They invade like lumberjacks swinging their axes in a thick forest. ⁶And now they are tearing down all its engravings with axes and crowbars. ⁷They set your sanctuary on fire; they desecrate your dwelling place by knocking it to the ground. ⁸They say to themselves, “We will oppress all of them.” They burn down all the places in the land where people worship God. ⁹We do not see any signs of God’s presence; there are no longer any prophets, and we have no one to tell us how long this will last.¹⁰How long, O God, will the adversary hurl insults? Will the enemy blaspheme your name forever? ¹¹Why do you remain inactive? Intervene and destroy him.¹²But God has been my king from ancient times, performing acts of deliverance on the earth. ¹³You destroyed the sea by your strength; you shattered the heads of the sea monster in the water. ¹⁴You crushed the heads of Leviathan; you fed him to the people who live along the coast. ¹⁵You broke open the spring and the stream; you dried up perpetually flowing rivers. ¹⁶You established the cycle of day and night; you put the moon and sun in place.¹⁷You set up all the boundaries of the earth; you created the cycle of summer and winter. ¹⁸Remember how the enemy hurls insults, O Lord, and how a foolish nation blasphemes your name. ¹⁹Do not hand the life of your dove over to a wild animal. Do not continue to disregard the lives of your oppressed people.²⁰Remember your covenant promises, for the dark regions of the earth are full of places where violence rules.²¹Do not let the afflicted be turned back in shame. Let the oppressed and poor praise your name. ²²Rise up, O God. Defend your honor. Remember how fools insult you all day long.²³Do not disregard what your enemies say or the unceasing shouts of those who defy you.