Psalms 74:6

And now ¹  they are tearing down ²  all its engravings ³  with axes ⁴  and crowbars. ⁵ 

They smashed all the carved panelling with their axes and hatchets.

And now all its carved work They smash with hatchet and hammers.

With axes and picks, they smashed the carved paneling.

Beat down the doors with sledgehammers, then split them into kindling.

Your doors are broken down with hammers and iron blades.

And then, with hatchets and hammers, they smashed all its carved work.

And now they break down its carved work, all at once, With axes and hammers.

And now ¹  they are tearing down ²  all its engravings ³  with axes ⁴  and crowbars. ⁵ 

¹ tn This is the reading of the Qere (marginal reading). The Kethib (consonantal text) has “and a time.”

² tn The imperfect verbal form vividly describes the act as underway.

³ tn Heb “its engravings together.”

⁴ tn This Hebrew noun occurs only here in the OT (see H. R. Cohen, Biblical Hapax Legomena [SBLDS], 49-50).

⁵ tn This Hebrew noun occurs only here in the OT. An Akkadian cognate refers to a “pickaxe” (cf. NEB “hatchet and pick”; NIV “axes and hatchets”; NRSV “hatchets and hammers”).