Psalms 44
1 We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us, what work thou did in their days, in the days of old.
For the music director. A psalm (maskil) of the sons of Korah. God, we have heard with our own ears—our forefathers have told us—all you did in their times, long ago.
2 Thou drove out the nations with thy hand, but thou planted them. Thou afflicted the peoples, but thou spread them abroad.
Through your power you drove out the other nations so you could settle our ancestors there; you defeated the nations and you sent our ancestors to occupy the land.
3 For they did not get the land in possession by their own sword, nor did their own arm save them, but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou were favorable to them.
They did not conquer the land using their swords; it was not through their own strength that the victory was won—it was by your strength, your power, and your presence with them, because you loved them.
4 Thou are my King, O God. Command deliverance for Jacob.
God, you are my King; command victories for Jacob!
5 Through thee we will push down our adversaries. Through thy name we will tread them under who rise up against us.
Only through you can we repel our enemies; only in your name can we defeat our opponents.
6 For I will not trust in my bow, nor shall my sword save me.
I do not trust my bow; I do not have confidence in my sword to save me.
7 But thou have saved us from our adversaries, and have put them to shame who hate us.
You are the one who saves us from our enemies; you defeat those who hate us.
8 In God we have made our boast all the day long, and we will give thanks to thy name forever. (Selah)
God, we proudly thank you all day long, and praise your name forever. (Selah)
9 But now thou have cast off, and brought us to dishonor, and go not forth with our armies.
But now you have rejected and disgraced us; you no longer accompany our armies.
10 Thou make us to turn back from the adversary. And those who hate us take spoil for themselves.
You made us run from our enemies, and those who hate us have taken whatever they wanted.
11 Thou have made us like sheep for food, and have scattered us among the nations.
You have handed us over like sheep to be slaughtered; you have scattered us among the other nations.
12 Thou sell thy people for nothing, and have not increased by their price.
You have sold your own people for next to nothing, making no profit on the sale.
13 Thou make us a reproach to our neighbors, a scoffing and a derision to those who are round about us.
You have made a mockery of us before our neighbors, we are ridiculed and laughed at by those around us.
14 Thou make us a byword among the nations, a shaking of the head among the peoples.
You have made us a joke to the other nations; they scornfully shake their heads at us.
15 All the day long my dishonor is before me, and the shame of my face has covered me,
We are humiliated all day long; we hold our heads in shame,
16 for the voice of him who reproaches and blasphemes, because of the enemy and the avenger.
because of all the insults from the people mocking us, because our vengeful enemies are right in front of us.
17 All this has come upon us, yet we have not forgotten thee, nor have we dealt falsely in thy covenant.
All this has happened to us even though we didn't forget you; we haven't been unfaithful to the promises we made to you.
18 Our heart is not turned back, nor have our steps declined from thy way,
We have not turned away from you, not in thought, nor in action.
19 that thou have greatly broken us in the place of jackals, and covered us with the shadow of death.
Even so, you crushed us, and made us into a jackal's den. You have covered us with the darkness of death.
20 If we have forgotten the name of our God, or spread forth our hands to a strange god,
If we had forgotten the name of our God, or worshiped other gods,
21 will not God search this out? For he knows the secrets of the heart.
wouldn't God have been aware of this, because he knows everyone's thoughts?
22 Yea, for thy sake we are killed all the day long. We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
But because of you we are killed all day long; we're considered just sheep to be slaughtered.
23 Awake, why do thou sleep, O Lord? Arise, cast not off forever.
Lord, wake up! Why are you sleeping? Get up! Don't turn your back on us forever!
24 Why do thou hide thy face, and forget our affliction and our oppression?
Why do you look away from us and take no notice of our suffering and misery?
25 For our soul is bowed down to the dust; our body clings to the ground.
We lie ruined in the dust, our bodies face down in the dirt.
26 Rise up for our help, and redeem us for thy loving kindness' sake.
Stand up! Come and help us! Save us because of your trustworthy love!
