
TORAH
NEVI'IM
KETUVIM
Chapter 74
Translation and Transliteration of
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1A maskil of Asaf. Why, O Hashem, do You forever reject us, do You fume in anger at the flock that You tend?
mas-KEEL l'-a-SAF LA-mah e-lo-HEEM za-NAKH-ta la-NE-tzakh ye-SHAN a-p'-KHA b'-TZON mar-ee-TE-kha
אמַשְׂכִּ֗יל לְאָ֫סָ֥ף לָמָ֣ה אֱ֭לֹהִים זָנַ֣חְתָּ לָנֶ֑צַח יֶעְשַׁ֥ן אַ֝פְּךָ֗ בְּצֹ֣אן מַרְעִיתֶֽךָ׃
74:1 Why, O Hashem, do You forever reject us
Amos Hakham, a modern Israeli Bible scholar and author of the contemporary Daat Mikra commentary on Sefer Tehillim, sees this chapter as an elegy over the destruction of the first Beit Hamikdash. The language is reminiscent of Yirmiyahu’s Megillat Eicha (see Lamentations 5:20), and verse 2 calls on Hashem to remember “Mount Tzion, where you dwell.” This implies that something disastrous happened there, possibly referring to the rampage of Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BCE. Furthermore, verses 3 and 7 refer to evil done in the sanctuary as well as the sanctuary being set on fire. The psalmist calls out to God in pain, “Why, O Hashem, do You forever reject us?” The picture of Yerushalayim in ruins was too much for the Israelites to behold, especially after having witnessed the splendor of King Shlomo’s Beit Hamikdash.
2Remember the community You made Yours long ago, Your very own tribe that You redeemed, Mount Tzion, where You dwell.
ZE-khor a-da-TE-kha ka-NEE-ta KE-dem ga-AL-ta SHE-vet na-kha-LA-te-kha ha-RET-tsi-YON ZE sha-KHAN-ta BO
בזְכֹ֤ר עֲדָֽתְךָ֨ ׀ קָ֘נִ֤יתָ קֶּ֗דֶם גָּ֭אַלְתָּ שֵׁ֣בֶט נַחֲלָתֶ֑ךָ הַר־צִ֝יּ֗וֹן זֶ֤ה ׀ שָׁכַ֬נְתָּ בּֽוֹ׃
3Bestir Yourself because of the perpetual tumult, all the outrages of the enemy in the sanctuary.
ha-REE-ma f'-a-ME-kha l'-ma-shu-OT ne-TZAKH, kol he-RA oy-EV ba-ko-DAYSH
גהָרִ֣ימָה פְ֭עָמֶיךָ לְמַשֻּׁא֣וֹת נֶ֑צַח כׇּל־הֵרַ֖ע אוֹיֵ֣ב בַּקֹּֽדֶשׁ׃
4Your foes roar inside Your meeting-place; they take their signs for true signs.
sha-A-gu tzo-r'-RE-kha b'-ke-RE-v mo-a-DE-kha sa-MU o-to-TAM o-TOT
דשָׁאֲג֣וּ צֹ֭רְרֶיךָ בְּקֶ֣רֶב מוֹעֲדֶ֑ךָ שָׂ֖מוּ אוֹתֹתָ֣ם אֹתֽוֹת׃
5It is like men wielding axes against a gnarled tree;
yi-va-DA k'-me-VEE l'-ma-o-LAH bi-s'-vakh-ETZ kar-du-MOT
היִ֭וָּדַע כְּמֵבִ֣יא לְמָ֑עְלָה בִּסְבׇךְ־עֵ֝֗ץ קַרְדֻּמּֽוֹת׃
6with hatchet and pike they hacked away at its carved work.
(v'-a-TAH) [v'-a-ta] pi-tu-KHE-ha YA-khad b'-ka-SHIL v'-kay-la-POt ya-ha-LO-mun
ו(ועת) [וְ֭עַתָּה] פִּתּוּחֶ֣יהָ יָּ֑חַד בְּכַשִּׁ֥יל וְ֝כֵילַפּ֗וֹת יַהֲלֹמֽוּן׃
7They made Your sanctuary go up in flames; they brought low in dishonor the dwelling-place of Your presence.
shil-KHU va-ESH mik-da-SHE-kha la-A-retz khil-LU mish-KAN she-ME-kha
זשִׁלְח֣וּ בָ֭אֵשׁ מִקְדָּשֶׁ֑ךָ לָ֝אָ֗רֶץ חִלְּל֥וּ מִֽשְׁכַּן־שְׁמֶֽךָ׃
8They resolved, “Let us destroy them altogether!” They burned all Hashem's Mishkans in the land.
a-M'-RU b'-li-BAM ni-NAM YA-khad sar-FU kol-mo-a-DAY-el ba-A-retz
חאָמְר֣וּ בְ֭לִבָּם נִינָ֣ם יָ֑חַד שָׂרְפ֖וּ כׇל־מוֹעֲדֵי־אֵ֣ל בָּאָֽרֶץ׃
9No signs appear for us; there is no longer any Navi; no one among us knows for how long.
o-to-TEY-nu lo ra-EE-nu, AYN-OD na-VEE, v'-lo i-TA-nu yo-DAY-a ad-MAH
טאוֹתֹתֵ֗ינוּ לֹ֥א רָ֫אִ֥ינוּ אֵֽין־ע֥וֹד נָבִ֑יא וְלֹֽא־אִ֝תָּ֗נוּ יֹדֵ֥עַ עַד־מָֽה׃
10Till when, O Hashem, will the foe blaspheme, will the enemy forever revile Your name?
ad-ma-TAI e-lo-HIM y'-kha-REF tza-R y'-NA-ets o-YEV shim-KHA la-NE-tsakh
יעַד־מָתַ֣י אֱ֭לֹהִים יְחָ֣רֶף צָ֑ר יְנָ֘אֵ֤ץ אוֹיֵ֖ב שִׁמְךָ֣ לָנֶֽצַח׃
11Why do You hold back Your hand, Your right hand? Draw it out of Your bosom!
la-MA ta-SHEEV ya-d'-KHA vi-mi-NE-kha mi-KE-rev (KHU-KE-kha) [KHAY-k'-KHA] ka-LEH
יאלָ֤מָּה תָשִׁ֣יב יָ֭דְךָ וִימִינֶ֑ךָ מִקֶּ֖רֶב (חוקך) [חֵיקְךָ֣] כַלֵּֽה׃
12O Hashem, my King from of old, who brings deliverance throughout the land;
v'-E-lo-HEEM mal-KI mi-KE-dem po-EL y'-shu-OT b'-KE-rem ha-A-retz
יבוֵ֭אלֹהִים מַלְכִּ֣י מִקֶּ֑דֶם פֹּעֵ֥ל יְ֝שׁוּע֗וֹת בְּקֶ֣רֶב הָאָֽרֶץ׃
13it was You who drove back the sea with Your might, who smashed the heads of the monsters in the waters;
a-TAH fo-RAR-ta v'-o-Z'-KHA yam, shi-BAR-ta ra-SHEI ta-NI-nim al ha-MA-yim
יגאַתָּ֤ה פוֹרַ֣רְתָּ בְעׇזְּךָ֣ יָ֑ם שִׁבַּ֖רְתָּ רָאשֵׁ֥י תַ֝נִּינִ֗ים עַל־הַמָּֽיִם׃
14it was You who crushed the heads of Leviathan, who left him as food for the denizens of the desert;
a-TAH ritz-TZAT ra-SHEI li-v'ya-TAN ti-t'-NE-nu ma-a-KHAL le-am le-tzi-YIM
ידאַתָּ֣ה רִ֭צַּצְתָּ רָאשֵׁ֣י לִוְיָתָ֑ן תִּתְּנֶ֥נּוּ מַ֝אֲכָ֗ל לְעָ֣ם לְצִיִּֽים׃
15it was You who released springs and torrents, who made mighty rivers run dry;
a-TAH va-KA-ta ma-YAN va-NA-khal, a-TAH ho-VA-shta na-ha-ROT ei-TAN
טואַתָּ֣ה בָ֭קַעְתָּ מַעְיָ֣ן וָנָ֑חַל אַתָּ֥ה ה֝וֹבַ֗שְׁתָּ נַהֲר֥וֹת אֵיתָֽן׃
16the day is Yours, the night also; it was You who set in place the orb of the sun;
le-KHA YOM af-le-KHA la-y'-LAH a-TAH ha-khee-NO-ta ma-OR va-SHA-mesh
טזלְךָ֣ י֭וֹם אַף־לְךָ֥ לָ֑יְלָה אַתָּ֥ה הֲ֝כִינ֗וֹתָ מָא֥וֹר וָשָֽׁמֶשׁ׃
17You fixed all the boundaries of the earth; summer and winter—You made them.
a-TAH hitz-TAV kol-ge-VU-lot a-RETZ ka-YITZ va-KHO-ref a-TAH y'-tza-TEM
יזאַתָּ֣ה הִ֭צַּבְתָּ כׇּל־גְּבוּל֣וֹת אָ֑רֶץ קַ֥יִץ וָ֝חֹ֗רֶף אַתָּ֥ה יְצַרְתָּֽם׃
18Be mindful of how the enemy blasphemes Hashem, how base people revile Your name.
ZE-khor ZOT o-YEV khe-REF a-do-NAI v'-AM na-BAL ni-a-TZU sh'-ME-kha
יחזְכׇר־זֹ֗את א֭וֹיֵב חֵרֵ֣ף ׀ יְהֹוָ֑ה וְעַ֥ם נָ֝בָ֗ל נִאֲצ֥וּ שְׁמֶֽךָ׃
19Do not deliver Your dove to the wild beast; do not ignore forever the band of Your lowly ones.
al-ti-TEN l'-kha-YAT NE-fesh to-RE-kha, kha-YAT a-nee-YE-kha, al-tish-KAKH la-NE-tsakh
יטאַל־תִּתֵּ֣ן לְ֭חַיַּת נֶ֣פֶשׁ תּוֹרֶ֑ךָ חַיַּ֥ת עֲ֝נִיֶּ֗יךָ אַל־תִּשְׁכַּ֥ח לָנֶֽצַח׃
20Look to the covenant! For the dark places of the land are full of the haunts of lawlessness.
ha-BET la-be-REET, KEE mal-U ma-kha-sha-KAY E-retz, n'-OT kha-MAS.
כהַבֵּ֥ט לַבְּרִ֑ית כִּ֥י מָלְא֥וּ מַחֲשַׁכֵּי־אֶ֝֗רֶץ נְא֣וֹת חָמָֽס׃
21Let not the downtrodden turn away disappointed; let the poor and needy praise Your name.
al-ya-SHOV dakh nik-LAM a-NEE v'-ev-YON y'-HAL-lu sh'-ME-kha
כאאַל־יָשֹׁ֣ב דַּ֣ךְ נִכְלָ֑ם עָנִ֥י וְ֝אֶבְי֗וֹן יְֽהַלְל֥וּ שְׁמֶֽךָ׃
22Rise, O Hashem, Champion Your cause; be mindful that You are blasphemed by base men all day long.
KU-ma e-lo-HEEM ree-VA ree-VE-kha z'-KHOHR kher-pa-TE-kha mi-NEE-na-BAL kol ha-YOM
כבקוּמָ֣ה אֱ֭לֹהִים רִיבָ֣ה רִיבֶ֑ךָ זְכֹ֥ר חֶרְפָּתְךָ֥ מִנִּי־נָ֝בָ֗ל כׇּל־הַיּֽוֹם׃
23Do not ignore the shouts of Your foes, the din of Your adversaries that ascends all the time.
al-tish-KAKH kol tzo-r'-RE-kha she-ON ka-ME-kha o-LEH ta-MEED.
כגאַל־תִּ֭שְׁכַּח ק֣וֹל צֹרְרֶ֑יךָ שְׁא֥וֹן קָ֝מֶ֗יךָ עֹלֶ֥ה תָמִֽיד׃