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An Appeal against the Devastation of the Land by the Enemy.

¹ God, why have You ^(C1)rejected us forever?
Why does Your anger ^(C2)smoke against the ^(C3)sheep of Your ^(F1)pasture?

² Remember Your congregation, which You ^(C1)purchased of old,
Which You have ^(C2)redeemed to be the ^(C3)tribe of Your inheritance;
And this Mount ^(C4)Zion, where You have dwelt.

^3 (F1)Step toward the ^(F2)(C1)irreparable ruins;
The enemy ^(C2)has damaged everything in the sanctuary.

⁴ Your adversaries have ^(C1)roared in the midst of Your meeting place;
They have set up their ^(C2)own signs as ^(C3)signs.

⁵ It ^(F1)seems like one bringing up
His ^(C1)axe into a ^(F2)forest of trees.

⁶ And now they break down ^(F1)all its ^(C1)carved work
With axe and hammers.

⁷ They have ^(F1)(C1)burned Your sanctuary ^(F2)to the ground;
They have ^(C2)defiled the dwelling place of Your name.

⁸ They ^(C1)said in their heart, "Let's ^(F1)completely ^(F2)subdue them."
They have burned all the meeting places of God in the land.

⁹ We do not see our ^(C1)signs;
There is ^(C2)no longer any prophet,
Nor is there anyone among us who knows ^(C3)how long.

¹⁰ How long, God, will the enemy ^(C1)taunt You?
Shall the enemy ^(C2)treat Your name disrespectfully forever?

¹¹ Why ^(C1)do You withdraw Your hand, even Your right hand?
Extend it from Your chest and ^(C2)destroy them!

¹² Yet God is ^(C1)my King from long ago,
Who performs acts of salvation in the midst of the earth.

^13 (F1)You ^(C1)divided the sea by Your strength;
^(F1)You ^(C2)broke the heads of the ^(C3)sea monsters ^(F2)in the waters.

^14 (F1)You crushed the heads of ^(F2)(C1)Leviathan;
You gave him as food for the ^(F3)creatures ^(C2)of the wilderness.

^15 (F1)You ^(C1)broke open springs and torrents;
^(F1)You ^(C2)dried up ever-flowing streams.

¹⁶ Yours is the day, Yours also is the night;
^(F1)You have ^(C1)prepared the ^(F2)light and the sun.

^17 (F1)You have ^(C1)established all the boundaries of the earth;
^(F1)You have ^(F2)created ^(C2)summer and winter.

¹⁸ Remember this, ^(F1)LORD, that the enemy has ^(C1)taunted You,
And a ^(C2)foolish people has treated Your name disrespectfully.

¹⁹ Do not give the soul of Your ^(C1)turtledove to the wild animal;
^(C2)Do not forget the life of Your afflicted forever.

²⁰ Consider the ^(C1)covenant;
For the ^(C2)dark places of the land are full of the places of violence.

²¹ May the ^(C1)oppressed person not return dishonored;
May the ^(C2)afflicted and the needy praise Your name.

²² Arise, God, and ^(C1)plead Your own cause;
Remember ^(F1)how the ^(C2)foolish person taunts You all day long.

²³ Do not forget the voice of Your ^(C1)adversaries,
The ^(C2)uproar of those who rise against You, which ascends continually.