Psalms 44
1 To the chief music-maker. Of the sons of Korah Maschil. It has come to our ears, O God, our fathers have given us the story, of the works which you did in their days, in the old times,
To the chief Musician. Of the sons of Korah. An instruction. O God, with our ears have we heard, our fathers have told us, the work thou wroughtest in their days, in the days of old:
2 Uprooting the nations with your hand, and planting our fathers in their place; cutting down the nations, but increasing the growth of your people.
Thou, by thy hand, didst dispossess the nations, but them thou didst plant; thou didst afflict the peoples, but them didst thou cause to spread out.
3 For they did not make the land theirs by their swords, and it was not their arms which kept them safe; but your right hand, and your arm, and the light of your face, because you had pleasure in them.
For not by their own sword did they take possession of the land, neither did their own arm save them; but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst delight in them.
4 You are my King and my God; ordering salvation for Jacob.
Thou thyself art my king, O God: command deliverance for Jacob.
5 Through you will we overcome our haters; by your name will they be crushed under our feet who are violent against us.
Through thee will we push down our adversaries; through thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us.
6 I will not put faith in my bow, my sword will not be my salvation.
For I will not put confidence in my bow, neither shall my sword save me.
7 But it is you who have been our saviour from those who were against us, and have put to shame those who had hate for us.
For thou hast saved us from our adversaries, and hast put them to shame that hate us.
8 Our pride is in God at all times, to his name we give praise for ever. (Selah)
In God will we boast all the day, and we will praise thy name for ever. (Selah)
9 But now you have sent us away from you, and put us to shame; you do not go out with our armies.
But thou hast cast off, and put us to confusion, and dost not go forth with our armies;
10 Because of this we are turned back by the attacker: those who have hate for us take our goods for themselves.
Thou hast made us to turn back from the adversary, and they that hate us spoil for themselves;
11 You have made us like sheep which are taken for meat; we are put to flight among the nations.
Thou hast given us over like sheep [appointed] for meat, and hast scattered us among the nations;
12 You let your people go for nothing; your wealth is not increased by their price.
Thou hast sold thy people for nought, and hast not increased [thy wealth] by their price;
13 You have made us to be looked down on by our neighbours, we are laughed at and shamed by those who are round about us.
Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbours, a mockery and a derision for them that are round about us;
14 Our name is a word of shame among the nations, a sign for the shaking of heads among the peoples.
Thou makest us a byword among the nations, a shaking of the head among the peoples.
15 My downfall is ever before me, and I am covered with the shame of my face;
All the day my confusion is before me, and the shame of my face hath covered me,
16 Because of the voice of him who says sharp and bitter words; because of the hater and him who is the instrument of punishment.
Because of the voice of him that reproacheth and blasphemeth; by reason of the enemy and the avenger.
17 All this has come on us, but still we have kept you in our memory; and we have not been false to your word.
All this is come upon us; yet have we not forgotten thee, neither have we dealt falsely against thy covenant:
18 Our hearts have not gone back, and our steps have not been turned out of your way;
Our heart is not turned back, neither have our steps declined from thy path;
19 Though you have let us be crushed in the place of jackals, though we are covered with darkest shade.
Though thou hast crushed us in the place of jackals, and covered us with the shadow of death.
20 If the name of our God has gone out of our minds, or if our hands have been stretched out to a strange god,
If we had forgotten the name of our God, and stretched out our hands to a strange god,
21 Will not God make search for it? for he sees the secrets of the heart.
Would not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart.
22 Truly, because of you we are put to death every day; we are numbered like sheep for destruction.
But for thy sake are we killed all the day long; we are reckoned as sheep for slaughter.
23 Why are you sleeping, O Lord? awake! and come to our help, do not give us up for ever.
Awake, why sleepest thou, Lord? arise, cast [us] not off for ever.
24 Why is your face covered, and why do you give no thought to our trouble and our cruel fate?
Wherefore hidest thou thy face, [and] forgettest our affliction and our oppression?
25 For our souls are crushed down to the dust: our bodies are stretched out on the earth.
For our soul is bowed down to the dust; our belly cleaveth unto the earth.
26 Up! and come to our help, and give us salvation because of your mercy.
Rise up for our help, and redeem us for thy loving-kindness' sake.
