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- ¶ O GOD, why hast thou cast us off for ever?
Why hath thine anger become inflamed against the sheep of thy flock?
- 2
- Remember thy congregation which thou hast possessed of old;
the tribe of thine inheritance, which thou hast redeemed; this mount Zion, wherein thou hast dwelt.
- 3
- Exalt thy servants over those who are carried away by power;
all those who oppress are enemies of thy sanctuary.
- 4
- Thine enemies exalted themselves in the midst of thy feasts;
they set up their banners for signs.
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- Thou knowest this as the exalted one who sits on high: they have hewn down the doors with axes as they would cut the trees of the forest.
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- They have destroyed everything with axes and hammers.
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- They have set fire to and burned thy sanctuary;
they have defiled the dwelling place of thy name on earth.
- 8
- They said in their hearts, Let us destroy them together;
let us abolish all the feast days of God from the land.
- 9
- They did not see the wonders thereof;
for there is no more any prophet, neither is there among us any wise man.
- 10
- O God, how long shall the adversary reproach?
Shall the enemy blaspheme thy name for ever?
- 11
- Why withdrawest thou thy hand, even thy strength from the midst of thy congregation?
- 12
- ¶ For God is our King, who of old has commanded the salvation of Jacob.
- 13
- Thou didst divide the sea by thy strength: thou didst break the heads of the dragons in the waters.
- 14
- Thou didst break the heads of Leviathan in pieces, and thou gavest him as food to a strong people.
- 15
- Thou didst open the fountains in the valleys;
thou didst dry up mighty rivers.
- 16
- The day is thine, the night also is thine;
thou hast prepared the light and the sun.
- 17
- Thou hast set all the borders of the earth;
thou hast made summer and winter.
- 18
- ¶ Remember this, that the enemy has reproached, O LORD, and that the foolish people have blasphemed thy name.
- 19
- O deliver not to destruction the soul that confesses to thee;
forget not the souls of thy poor for ever.
- 20
- Respect thy covenant, O LORD;
for the habitations of the earth are full of ignorance and cruelty.
- 21
- O let not the oppressed return ashamed;
let the poor and needy praise thy name.
- 22
- Arise, O God, plead thine own cause;
remember how the foolish man reproacheth thee daily.
- 23
- Forget not the voice of thine enemies;
the tumult of those that rise up against thee ascendeth continually.
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