Why Have You Rejected Us Forever? (Psalm 79:1–13; Jeremiah 52:1–11)
1 Brenton A Psalm of instruction for Asaph. Wherefore hast thou rejected us , O God, for ever? wherefore is thy wrath kindled against the sheep of thy pasture?BSB BSB: A Maskil of Asaph. Why have You rejected us forever, O God? Why does Your anger smolder against the sheep of Your pasture?
2 Brenton Remember thy congregation which thou hast purchased from the beginning; thou didst ransom the rod of thine inheritance; this mount Sion wherein thou hast dwelt. BSB BSB: Remember Your congregation, which You purchased long ago and redeemed as the tribe of Your inheritance—Mount Zion, where You dwell.
3 Brenton Lift up thine hands against their pride continually; because of all that the enemy has done wickedly in thy holy places. BSB BSB: Turn Your steps to the everlasting ruins, to everything in the sanctuary the enemy has destroyed.
4 Brenton And they that hate thee have boasted in the midst of thy feast; they have set up their standards for signs, BSB BSB: Your foes have roared within Your meeting place; they have unfurled their banners as signs,
5 Brenton ignorantly as it were in the entrance above; BSB BSB: like men wielding axes in a thicket of trees
6 Brenton they cut down its doors at once with axes as in a wood of trees; they have broken it down with hatchet and stone cutter. BSB BSB: and smashing all the carvings with hatchets and picks.
7 Brenton They have burnt thy sanctuary with fire to the ground; they have profaned the habitation of thy name. BSB BSB: They have burned Your sanctuary to the ground; they have defiled the dwelling place of Your Name.
8 Brenton They have said in their heart, even all their kindred together, Come, let us abolish the feasts of the Lord from the earth. BSB BSB: They said in their hearts, “We will crush them completely.” They burned down every place where God met us in the land.
9 Brenton We have not seen our signs; there is no longer a prophet; and God will not know us any more. BSB BSB: There are no signs for us to see. There is no longer any prophet. And none of us knows how long this will last.
10 Brenton How long, O God, shall the enemy reproach? shall the enemy provoke thy name for ever? BSB BSB: How long, O God, will the enemy taunt You? Will the foe revile Your name forever?
11 Brenton Wherefore turnest thou away thine hand, and thy right hand from the midst of thy bosom for ever? BSB BSB: Why do You withdraw Your strong right hand? Stretch it out to destroy them!
12 Brenton But God is our King of old; he has wrought salvation in the midst of the earth. BSB BSB: Yet God is my King from ancient times, working salvation on the earth.
13 Brenton Thou didst establish the sea, in thy might, thou didst break to pieces the heads of the dragons in the water. BSB BSB: You divided the sea by Your strength; You smashed the heads of the dragons of the sea;
14 Brenton Thou didst break to pieces the heads of the dragon; thou didst give him for meat to the Ethiopian nations. BSB BSB: You crushed the heads of Leviathan; You fed him to the creatures of the desert.
15 Brenton Thou didst cleave fountains and torrents; thou driedst up mighty rivers. BSB BSB: You broke open the fountain and the flood; You dried up the ever-flowing rivers.
16 Brenton The day is thine, and the night is thine; thou hast prepared the sun and the moon. BSB BSB: The day is Yours, and also the night; You established the moon and the sun.
17 Brenton Thou hast made all the borders of the earth; thou hast made summer and spring. BSB BSB: You set all the boundaries of the earth; You made the summer and winter.
18 Brenton Remember this thy creation: an enemy has reproached the Lord, and a foolish people has provoked thy name. BSB BSB: Remember how the enemy has mocked You, O LORD, how a foolish people has spurned Your name.
19 Brenton Deliver not to the wild beasts a soul that gives praise to thee: forget not for ever the souls of thy poor. BSB BSB: Do not deliver the soul of Your dove to beasts; do not forget the lives of Your afflicted forever.
20 Brenton Look upon thy covenant: for the dark places of the earth are filled with the habitations of iniquity. BSB BSB: Consider Your covenant, for haunts of violence fill the dark places of the land.
21 Brenton Let not the afflicted and shamed one be rejected: the poor and needy shall praise thy name. BSB BSB: Do not let the oppressed retreat in shame; may the poor and needy praise Your name.
22 Brenton Arise, O God, plead thy cause: remember thy reproaches that come from the foolish one all the day. BSB BSB: Rise up, O God; defend Your cause! Remember how the fool mocks You all day long.
23 Brenton Forget not the voice of thy suppliants: let the pride of them that hate thee continually ascend before thee. BSB BSB: Do not disregard the clamor of Your adversaries, the uproar of Your enemies that ascends continually.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.