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,
Unto the end, for the sons of Core, to give understanding. We have heard, O God, with our ears: our fathers have declared to us, The work, thou hast wrought in their days, and 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.
Thy hand destroyed the Gentiles, and thou plantedst them: thou didst afflict the people and cast them 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 they got not the possession of the land by their own sword: neither did their own arm save them. But thy right hand and thy arm, and the light of thy countenance: because thou wast pleased with them.
4 You are my King and my God; ordering salvation for Jacob.
Thou art thyself my king and my God, who commandest the saving of 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 we will push down our enemies with the horn: and through thy name we will despise them 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 trust 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.
But thou hast saved us from them that afflict us: 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 shall we glory all the day long: and in thy name we will give praise for ever.
9 But now you have sent us away from you, and put us to shame; you do not go out with our armies.
But now thou hast cast us off, and put us to shame: and thou, O God, wilt not go out 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 turn our back to our enemies: and they that hated us plundered 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 up like sheep to be eaten: thou 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 no price: and there was no reckoning in the exchange of them.
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 hast made us a reproach to our neighbours, a scoff and derision to 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 hast made us a byword among the Gentiles: a shaking of the head among the people.
15 My downfall is ever before me, and I am covered with the shame of my face;
All the day long my shame is before me: and the confusion 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.
At the voice of him that reproacheth and detracteth me: at the face of the enemy and persecutor.
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 these things have come upon us, yet we have not forgotten thee: and we have not done wickedly in they covenant.
18 Our hearts have not gone back, and our steps have not been turned out of your way;
And our heart hath not turned back: neither hast thou turned aside our steps from thy way.
19 Though you have let us be crushed in the place of jackals, though we are covered with darkest shade.
For thou hast humbled us in the place of affliction: and the shadow of death hath covered us.
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 have forgotten the name of our God, and if we have spread forth our hands to a strange god:
21 Will not God make search for it? for he sees the secrets of the heart.
Shall not God search out these things: 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.
Because for thy sake we are killed all the day long: we are counted as sheep for the slaughter.
23 Why are you sleeping, O Lord? awake! and come to our help, do not give us up for ever.
Arise, why sleepest thou, O Lord? arise, and cast us not off to the end.
24 Why is your face covered, and why do you give no thought to our trouble and our cruel fate?
Why turnest thou face away? and forgettest our want and our trouble?
25 For our souls are crushed down to the dust: our bodies are stretched out on the earth.
For our soul is humbled down to the dust: our belly cleaveth to the earth.
26 Up! and come to our help, and give us salvation because of your mercy.
Arise, O Lord, help us and redeem us for thy name’s sake.
