Psalms 44
1 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.
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 Thy hand destroyed the Gentiles, and thou plantedst them: thou didst afflict the people and cast them out.
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 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.
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 art thyself my king and my God, who commandest the saving of Jacob.
God, you are my King; command victories for Jacob!
5 Through thee we will push down our enemies with the horn: and through thy name we will despise them that 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: neither 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 hast saved us from them that afflict us: and hast put them to shame that hate us.
You are the one who saves us from our enemies; you defeat those who hate us.
8 In God shall we glory all the day long: and in thy name we will give praise for ever.
God, we proudly thank you all day long, and praise your name forever. (Selah)
9 But now thou hast cast us off, and put us to shame: and thou, O God, wilt not go out with our armies.
But now you have rejected and disgraced us; you no longer accompany our armies.
10 Thou hast made us turn our back to our enemies: and they that hated us plundered for themselves.
You made us run from our enemies, and those who hate us have taken whatever they wanted.
11 Thou hast given us up like sheep to be eaten: thou hast 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 hast sold thy people for no price: and there was no reckoning in the exchange of them.
You have sold your own people for next to nothing, making no profit on the sale.
13 Thou hast made us a reproach to our neighbours, a scoff and derision to them that 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 hast made us a byword among the Gentiles: a shaking of the head among the people.
You have made us a joke to the other nations; they scornfully shake their heads at us.
15 All the day long my shame is before me: and the confusion of my face hath covered me,
We are humiliated all day long; we hold our heads in shame,
16 At the voice of him that reproacheth and detracteth me: at the face of the enemy and persecutor.
because of all the insults from the people mocking us, because our vengeful enemies are right in front of us.
17 All these things have come upon us, yet we have not forgotten thee: and we have not done wickedly in they 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 And our heart hath not turned back: neither hast thou turned aside our steps from thy way.
We have not turned away from you, not in thought, nor in action.
19 For thou hast humbled us in the place of affliction: and the shadow of death hath covered us.
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, and if we have spread forth our hands to a strange god:
If we had forgotten the name of our God, or worshiped other gods,
21 Shall not God search out these things: for he knoweth the secrets of the heart.
wouldn't God have been aware of this, because he knows everyone's thoughts?
22 Because for thy sake we are killed all the day long: we are counted as sheep for the slaughter.
But because of you we are killed all day long; we're considered just sheep to be slaughtered.
23 Arise, why sleepest thou, O Lord? arise, and cast us not off to the end.
Lord, wake up! Why are you sleeping? Get up! Don't turn your back on us forever!
24 Why turnest thou face away? and forgettest our want and our trouble?
Why do you look away from us and take no notice of our suffering and misery?
25 For our soul is humbled down to the dust: our belly cleaveth to the earth.
We lie ruined in the dust, our bodies face down in the dirt.
26 Arise, O Lord, help us and redeem us for thy name’s sake.
Stand up! Come and help us! Save us because of your trustworthy love!
