28AND I [THE] APPROACH OF GOD FOR ME [IS] GOOD I HAVE MADE IN [THE] LORD YAHWEH REFUGE MY TO RECOUNT ALL WORKS YOUR 28But as for me, it is good to draw near to God. I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, that I may proclaim all Your works.
0A POEM OF ASAPH Why Have You Rejected Us Forever? (Psalm 79:1–13; Jeremiah 52:1–11) 0A Maskil*NoteCloseMaskil is probably a musical or liturgical term; used for Psalms 32, 42, 44–45, 52–55, 74, 78, 88–89, and 142. of Asaph.
1<TO> WHY? O GOD HAVE YOU REJECTED [US] TO PERPETUITY DOES IT SMOKE? ANGER YOUR ON [THE] SHEEP OF PASTURE YOUR 1Why have You rejected us forever, O God? Why does Your anger smolder against the sheep of Your pasture?
2REMEMBER CONGREGATION YOUR [WHICH] YOU ACQUIRED ANTIQUITY [WHICH] YOU REDEEMED [THE] TRIBE OF INHERITANCE YOUR [THE] MOUNTAIN OF ZION WHICH YOU HAVE DWELT ON IT 2Remember Your congregation, which You purchased long ago and redeemed as the tribe of Your inheritance— Mount Zion, where You dwell
3LIFT UP! FOOTSTEPS YOUR TO [THE] RUINS OF PERPETUITY EVERYTHING HE HAS DONE HARM TO [THE] ENEMY IN THE SANCTUARY 3Turn Your steps to the everlasting ruins, to everything in the sanctuary the enemy has destroyed.
4THEY ROARED OPPOSERS YOUR IN [THE] MIDST OF APPOINTED PLACE YOUR THEY SET UP SIGNS THEIR SIGNS 4Your foes have roared within Your meeting place; they have unfurled their banners as signs,
5IT WAS KNOWN LIKE [ONE WHO] BRINGS <TO> UPWARDS <TOWARDS> IN A THICKET OF TREE[S] AXES 5like men wielding axes in a thicket of trees
6AND NOW ENGRAVINGS ITS ALTOGETHER WITH AXE[S] AND CROWBARS THEY STRUCK! 6and smashing all the carvings with hatchets and picks.
7THEY SENT IN <THE> FIRE SANCTUARY YOUR TO THE GROUND THEY PROFANED [THE] DWELLING PLACE OF NAME YOUR 7They have burned Your sanctuary to the ground; they have defiled the dwelling place of Your Name.
8THEY SAID IN HEART THEIR LET US OPPRESS THEM ALTOGETHER THEY BURNED ALL [THE] APPOINTED PLACES OF GOD IN THE LAND 8They said in their hearts, “We will crush them completely.” They burned down every place where God met us in the land.
9SIGNS OUR NOT WE HAVE SEEN THERE NOT STILL [IS] A PROPHET AND NOT [IS] WITH US [ONE WHO] KNOWS UNTIL WHEN? 9There are no signs for us to see. There is no longer any prophet. And none of us knows how long this will last.
10UNTIL WHEN? O GOD WILL HE TAUNT [THE] OPPONENT WILL HE SPURN? [THE] ENEMY NAME YOUR TO PERPETUITY 10How long, O God, will the enemy taunt You? Will the foe revile Your name forever?
11<TO> WHY? DO YOU DRAW BACK HAND YOUR AND RIGHT [HAND] YOUR FROM [THE] MIDST OF BOSOM YOUR DESTROY 11Why do You withdraw Your strong right hand? Stretch it out to destroy them!*NoteCloseLiterally From the midst of Your bosom destroy them! or From the midst of Your bosom remove it!
12AND GOD [HAS BEEN] KING MY FROM ANTIQUITY [WHO] DOES SALVATION<S> IN [THE] MIDST OF THE EARTH 12Yet God is my King from ancient times, working salvation on the earth.
13YOU YOU DIVIDED BY STRENGTH YOUR [THE] SEA YOU SHATTERED [THE] HEADS OF SEA MONSTERS ON THE WATERS 13You divided the sea by Your strength; You smashed the heads of the dragons of the sea;
14YOU YOU CRUSHED [THE] HEADS OF LEVIATHAN YOU GAVE IT FOOD TO A PEOPLE TO DESERT-DWELLERS 14You crushed the heads of Leviathan; You fed him to the creatures of the desert.
15YOU YOU BROKE OPEN A SPRING AND A TORRENT YOU YOU DRIED UP RIVERS OF EVER-FLOWING 15You broke open the fountain and the flood; You dried up the ever-flowing rivers.
16[BELONGS] TO YOU DAY ALSO [BELONGS] TO YOU NIGHT YOU YOU PREPARED A LUMINARY AND [THE] SUN 16The day is Yours, and also the night; You established the moon*NoteCloseLiterally the light and the sun.
17YOU YOU ESTABLISHED ALL [THE] BOUNDARIES OF [THE] EARTH SUMMER AND WINTER YOU YOU FORMED THEM 17You set all the boundaries of the earth; You made the summer and winter.
18REMEMBER THIS [THE] ENEMY HE TAUNTED O YAHWEH AND A PEOPLE FOOLISH THEY SPURNED NAME YOUR 18Remember how the enemy has mocked You, O LORD, how a foolish people has spurned Your name.
19MAY NOT YOU GIVE TO AN ANIMAL [THE] LIFE OF TURTLE-DOVE YOUR [THE] LIFE OF POOR [PEOPLE] YOUR MAY NOT YOU FORGET TO PERPETUITY 19Do not deliver the soul of Your dove to beasts; do not forget the lives of Your afflicted forever.
20PAY ATTENTION TO THE COVENANT FOR THEY ARE FULL [THE] DARK PLACES OF [THE] LAND SETTLEMENTS OF VIOLENCE 20Consider Your covenant, for haunts of violence fill the dark places of the land.
21MAY NOT HE RETURN [THE] OPPRESSED HUMILIATED [THE] POOR AND [THE] NEEDY MAY THEY PRAISE NAME YOUR 21Do not let the oppressed retreat in shame; may the poor and needy praise Your name.
22ARISE! O GOD CONDUCT! CASE YOUR REMEMBER REPROACH YOUR FROM A FOOL ALL THE DAY 22Rise up, O God; defend Your cause! Remember how the fool mocks You all day long.
23MAY NOT YOU FORGET [THE] SOUND OF OPPOSERS YOUR [THE] UPROAR OF [THOSE WHO] RISE AGAINST YOU [WHICH] GOES UP CONTINUALLY 23Do not disregard the clamor of Your adversaries, the uproar of Your enemies that ascends continually.