Psalms 44
1 “To the chief musician, for the sons of Korach, a Maskil.” O God, with our ears have we heard, our fathers have told us, deeds which thou hadst done in their days, in times 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 Thou, with thy hand, didst indeed drive out nations, and plant them; thou didst ill-treat people, and cause them to spread 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 not by their sword did they obtain possession of the land, and their own arm brought them no victory; but thy right hand, and thy arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst given them thy favor.
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 my King, O God: ordain salvation for Jacob.
You are my King and my God; it is you who enable us, your people [MTY], to defeat our enemies.
5 Through thee will we butt down our assailants: through thy name will we tread under foot our opponents.
It is by your power that we knock our enemies down and tramp on them.
6 For not in my bow will I trust, and my sword shall not help me.
I do not trust that I will be saved by using my bow [and arrows] and my sword.
7 But thou helpest us against our assailants, and those that hate us thou puttest to shame.
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 Of God we boast all the day, and to thy name will we give thanks for ever. (Selah)
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 the blush, and goest not forth 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 causest us to turn back from before our assailant: and they who hate us take spoil 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 givest us up like sheep for food, and among the nations hast thou dispersed us.
You have allowed us to become like [MET] sheep that were ready to be slaughtered; you scattered us [far away] among [other].
12 Thou sellest thy people for no value, and acquirest no gain by their price.
[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 renderest us a reproach to our neighbors, a scorn and a derision to those 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 renderest us a by-word among the nations, 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 is my disgrace before me, and the shame of my face covereth me;
All day I feel disgraced; from seeing my face, people know that I am ashamed.
16 Because of the voice of him that reproacheth and blasphemeth; by reason of the enemy and him that seeketh vengeance.
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 this is come over us, yet have we not forgotten thee; nor have we dealt falsely by 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 Our heart is not moved backward, nor hath our step turned aside from thy path:
We have not stopped being loyal to you, and we have not stopped doing what you want us to do [IDM].
19 Even when thou didst crush us in the abode of monsters, and cover us with the shadow of death.
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 had forgotten the name of our God, or 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 Would not God search out this? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart.
you certainly would have known that, because you know [even] what we secretly think.
22 But for thy sake are we slain all the day; we are counted as flocks [destined] 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 wilt thou sleep, O Lord? arise, abandon us not for ever.
[So], Yahweh, arise! Why are you asleep [RHQ]? Get up! Do not reject us forever!
24 Wherefore wilt thou hide thy face, wilt thou forget our misery, and our oppression?
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 bowed down to the dust; our body cleaveth unto the earth.
We are pushed down to the ground and we cannot get up.
26 Arise unto our help, and redeem us for the sake of thy kindness.
Arise, and come and help us! Rescue us because you faithfully love us!
