Psalms 44

1 For the end, a Psalm for instruction, for the sons of Core. O God, we have heard with our ears, our fathers have told us, the work which thou wroughtest in their days, in the days of old.

God, we ourselves have heard what our parents and grandparents told us. They told us about the miracles that you performed long ago.

2 Thine hand utterly destroyed the heathen, and thou didst plant them: thou didst afflict the nations, and cast them out.

[They told us] how you expelled the ungodly people and enabled us to live in their land. [They told us] that you punished those ungodly people and enabled your own people to prosper [IDM].

3 For they inherited not the land by their [own] sword, and their [own] arm did not deliver them; but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou wert well pleased in them.

It was not by using their own swords that they conquered the people that lived in that land, and it was not by their own power that they were victorious; it was only by your power [MTY, DOU] [that they did those things]; and they were sure that you were with them, and that showed that you were pleased with them.

4 Thou art indeed my King and my God, who commandest deliverances for Jacob.

You are my King and my God; it is you who enable us, your people [MTY], to defeat our enemies.

5 In thee will we push down our enemies, and in thy name will we bring to nought them that rise up against us.

It is by your power that we knock our enemies down and tramp on them.

6 For I will not trust in my bow, and my sword shall not save me.

I do not trust that I will be saved by using my bow [and arrows] and my sword.

7 For thou hast saved us from them that afflicted us, and hast put to shame them that hated us.

No, it is you who have rescued us from our enemies, it is you who have caused those who hate us to become ashamed [because they were defeated].

8 In God will we make our boast all the day, and to thy name will we give thanks for ever. (Pause)

We have continually boasted about what God [has done for us], and we will thank him [MTY] forever.

9 But now thou hast cast off, and put us to shame; and thou wilt not go forth with our hosts.

But [now] you have rejected us and caused us to be disgraced; when our armies march out [to fight a battle], you no [longer] go with them.

10 Thou hast turned us back before our enemies; and they that hated us spoiled for themselves.

You have caused us to run away from our enemies, with the result that they captured the things that belonged to us.

11 Thou madest us as sheep for meat; and thou scatteredst us among the nations.

You have allowed us to become like [MET] sheep that were ready to be slaughtered; you scattered us [far away] among [other].

12 Thou hast sold thy people without price, and there was no profit by their exchange.

[It is as though] [MET] you sold us, your people, [to our enemies] for a very small price, and you did not gain much profit from selling us!

13 Thou hast made us a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and derision them that are round about us.

People who live in nations near us make fun of us; they laugh at us and deride/belittle us.

14 Thou hast made us a proverb among the Gentiles, a shaking of the head among the nations.

They make jokes using the name of [our country], they shake their heads [to indicate that they despise us].

15 All the day my shame is before me, and the confusion of my face has covered me,

All day I feel disgraced; from seeing my face, people know that I am ashamed.

16 because of the voice of the slanderer and reviler; because of the enemy and avenger.

I hear what those who sneer at me and revile me say; I am ashamed in front of my enemies and those who want to harm me.

17 All these things are come upon us: but we have not forgotten thee, neither have we dealt unrighteously in thy covenant.

All these things have happened to us [even] though we have not forgotten you, and we are not the ones who disobeyed the agreement you made with [our ancestors].

18 And our heart has not gone back; but thou hast turned aside our paths from thy way.

We have not stopped being loyal to you, and we have not stopped doing what you want us to do [IDM].

19 For thou hast laid us low in a place of affliction, and the shadow of death has covered us.

But [it is as though] you have allowed us to be helpless among wild animals, and abandoned us in a deep dark [ravine].

20 If we have forgotten the name of our God, and if we have spread out our hands to a strange god; shall not God search these things out?

If we had forgotten to worship [MTY] our God, or if we had spread out our hands to [worship] a foreign god,

21 for he knows the secrets of the heart.

you certainly would have known that, because you know [even] what we secretly think.

22 For, for thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for slaughter.

But it is because we belong to you, [that our enemies] are constantly killing us. They act toward us as though we were only sheep to be slaughtered.

23 Awake, wherefore sleepest thou, O Lord? arise, and do not cast [us] off for ever.

[So], Yahweh, arise! Why are you asleep [RHQ]? Get up! Do not reject us forever!

24 Wherefore turnest thou thy face away, [and] forgettest our poverty and our affliction?

Why are you not looking at us? Why are you forgetting that we are suffering and being oppressed [by our enemies]?

25 For our soul has been brought down to the dust; our belly has cleaved to the earth.

We are pushed down to the ground and we cannot get up.

26 Arise, O Lord, help us, and redeem us for thy name's sake.

Arise, and come and help us! Rescue us because you faithfully love us!