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.
God, we ourselves have heard what our parents and grandparents told us. They told us about the miracles that you performed long ago.
2 Thy hand destroyed the Gentiles, and thou plantedst them: thou didst afflict the people 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 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.
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 thyself my king and my God, who commandest the saving of Jacob.
You are my King and my God; it is you who enable us, your people [MTY], to defeat our enemies.
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.
It is by your power that we knock our enemies down and tramp on them.
6 For I will not trust in my bow: neither shall my sword save me.
I do not trust that I will be saved by using my bow [and arrows] and my sword.
7 But thou hast saved us from them that afflict us: and hast put them to shame that hate 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 shall we glory all the day long: and in thy name we will give praise for ever.
We have continually boasted about what God [has done for us], and we will thank him [MTY] forever.
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 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 made us turn our back to our enemies: and they that hated us plundered 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 hast given us up like sheep to be eaten: thou hast scattered 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 for no price: and there was no reckoning in the exchange of them.
[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 scoff and derision to 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 byword among the Gentiles: a shaking of the head among the people.
They make jokes using the name of [our country], they shake their heads [to indicate that they despise us].
15 All the day long my shame is before me: and the confusion of my face hath covered me,
All day I feel disgraced; from seeing my face, people know that I am ashamed.
16 At the voice of him that reproacheth and detracteth me: at the face of the enemy and persecutor.
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 have come upon us, yet we have not forgotten thee: and we have not done wickedly in they 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 hath not turned back: neither hast thou turned aside our steps 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 humbled us in the place of affliction: and the shadow of death hath 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 forth our hands to a strange god:
If we had forgotten to worship [MTY] our God, or if we had spread out our hands to [worship] a foreign god,
21 Shall not God search out these things: for he knoweth the secrets of the heart.
you certainly would have known that, because you know [even] what we secretly think.
22 Because for thy sake we are killed all the day long: we are counted as sheep for the 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 Arise, why sleepest thou, O Lord? arise, and cast us not off to the end.
[So], Yahweh, arise! Why are you asleep [RHQ]? Get up! Do not reject us forever!
24 Why turnest thou face away? and forgettest our want and our trouble?
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 is humbled down to the dust: our belly cleaveth 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!
