1. Why have you abandoned us like this, O God?Will you be angry with your own people for ever?
2. Remember your people, whom you chose for yourself long ago,whom you brought out of slavery to be your own tribe.Remember Mount Zion, where once you lived.
3. Walk over these total ruins;our enemies have destroyed everything in the Temple.
4. Your enemies have shouted in triumph in your Temple;they have placed their flags there as signs of victory.
5. They looked like woodmencutting down trees with their axes.
6. They smashed all the wooden panelswith their axes and sledgehammers.
7. They wrecked your Temple and set it on fire;they desecrated the place where you are worshipped.
8. They wanted to crush us completely;they burnt down every holy place in the land.
9. All our sacred symbols are gone;there are no prophets left,and no one knows how long this will last.
10. How long, O God, will our enemies laugh at you?Will they insult your name for ever?
11. Why have you refused to help us?Why do you keep your hands behind you?
12. But you have been our king from the beginning, O God;you have saved us many times.
13. With your mighty strength you divided the seaand smashed the heads of the sea monsters;