Psalms 44
1 TO THE OVERSEER. AN INSTRUCTION OF THE SONS OF KORAH. O God, we have heard with our ears, Our fathers have recounted to us, The work You worked in their days, 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 You, [with] Your hand, have dispossessed nations. And You plant them. You afflict peoples, and send them away.
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 did not possess the land by their sword, And their arm did not give salvation to them, But Your right hand, and Your arm, And the light of Your countenance, Because You had accepted 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 You [are] He, my King, O God, Command the deliverances of Jacob.
God, you are my King; command victories for Jacob!
5 By You we push our adversaries, By Your Name we tread down our withstanders,
Only through you can we repel our enemies; only in your name can we defeat our opponents.
6 For I do not trust in my bow, And my sword does not save me.
I do not trust my bow; I do not have confidence in my sword to save me.
7 For You have saved us from our adversaries, And You have put to shame those hating us.
You are the one who saves us from our enemies; you defeat those who hate us.
8 In God we have boasted all the day, And we thank Your Name for all time. (Selah)
God, we proudly thank you all day long, and praise your name forever. (Selah)
9 In anger You have cast off and cause us to blush, And do not go forth with our hosts.
But now you have rejected and disgraced us; you no longer accompany our armies.
10 You cause us to turn backward from an adversary, And those hating us, Have spoiled for themselves.
You made us run from our enemies, and those who hate us have taken whatever they wanted.
11 You make us food like sheep, And You have scattered us among nations.
You have handed us over like sheep to be slaughtered; you have scattered us among the other nations.
12 You sell Your people—without wealth, And have not become great by their price.
You have sold your own people for next to nothing, making no profit on the sale.
13 You make us a reproach to our neighbors, A scorn and a reproach to our surrounders.
You have made a mockery of us before our neighbors, we are ridiculed and laughed at by those around us.
14 You make us an allegory among nations, A shaking of the head among peoples.
You have made us a joke to the other nations; they scornfully shake their heads at us.
15 All the day my confusion [is] before me, And the shame of my face has covered me.
We are humiliated all day long; we hold our heads in shame,
16 Because of the voice of a reproacher and reviler, Because of an enemy and a self-avenger.
because of all the insults from the people mocking us, because our vengeful enemies are right in front of us.
17 All this met us, and we did not forget You, Nor have we dealt falsely in Your 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 We do not turn our heart backward, Nor turn aside our step from Your path.
We have not turned away from you, not in thought, nor in action.
19 But You have struck us in a place of dragons, And cover us over with death-shade.
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 spread our hands to a strange God,
If we had forgotten the name of our God, or worshiped other gods,
21 Does God not search this out? For He knows the secrets of the heart.
wouldn't God have been aware of this, because he knows everyone's thoughts?
22 Surely, for Your sake we have been slain all the day, Reckoned as sheep of the slaughter.
But because of you we are killed all day long; we're considered just sheep to be slaughtered.
23 Stir up—why do You sleep, O Lord? Awake, do not cast us off forever.
Lord, wake up! Why are you sleeping? Get up! Don't turn your back on us forever!
24 Why do You hide Your face? You forget our afflictions and our oppression,
Why do you look away from us and take no notice of our suffering and misery?
25 For our soul has bowed to the dust, Our belly has cleaved to the earth.
We lie ruined in the dust, our bodies face down in the dirt.
26 Arise, a help to us, And ransom us for your kindness’ sake.
Stand up! Come and help us! Save us because of your trustworthy love!
