Read the Bible

¹ Our God, why have you
    completely rejected us?
    Why are you so angry
    with the ones you care for?
² Remember the people
    you rescued long ago,
    the tribe you chose
    to be your very own.

Think of Mount Zion,
    your home;
³ walk over to the temple
left in ruins forever
    by those who hate us.

⁴ Your enemies roared like lions
    in your holy temple,
    and they have placed
    their banners there.
⁵ It looks like a forest
    chopped to pieces.^[a]
6 They used axes and hatchets
    to smash the carvings.
⁷     They burned down your temple
    and badly disgraced it.
⁸ They said to themselves,
    "We'll crush them!"
Then they burned every one
of your meeting places
    all over the country.
⁹ There are no more miracles
    and no more prophets.
    Who knows how long
    it will be like this?

¹⁰ Our God, how much longer
    will our enemies sneer?
    Won't they ever stop
    insulting you?
¹¹ Why don't you punish them?
    Why are you holding back?

¹² Our God and King,
you have ruled
    since ancient times;
    you have won victories
    everywhere on this earth.
¹³ By your power you made a path
    through the sea,
    and you smashed the heads
    of sea monsters.
¹⁴ You crushed the heads
    of the monster Leviathan,^[b]
    then fed him to wild creatures
    in the desert.
¹⁵ You opened the ground
for streams and springs
    and dried up mighty rivers.
¹⁶ You rule the day and the night,
    and you put the moon
    and the sun in place.
¹⁷ You made summer and winter
    and gave them to the earth.^[c]

¹⁸ Remember your enemies, Lord!
    They foolishly sneer
    and won't respect you.
¹⁹ You treat us like pet doves,
    but they mistreat us.
Don't keep forgetting us
    and letting us be fed
    to those wild animals.
²⁰ Remember the agreement
    you made with us.
Violent enemies are hiding
    in every dark corner
    of the earth.
²¹ Don't disappoint those in need
    or make them turn from you,
    but help the poor and homeless
    to shout your praises.
²² Do something, God!
    Defend yourself.
Remember how those fools
    sneer at you all day long.
²³     Don't forget the loud shouts
    of your enemies.