< 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.
To him that excelleth. A Psalme to give instruction, committed to the sonnes of Korah. We haue heard with our eares, O God: our fathers haue tolde vs the workes, that thou hast done in their dayes, in the olde time:
2 You, [with] Your hand, have dispossessed nations. And You plant them. You afflict peoples, and send them away.
Howe thou hast driuen out the heathen with thine hand, and planted them: how thou hast destroyed the people, and caused them to grow.
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.
For they inherited not the lande by their owne sworde, neither did their owne arme saue them: but thy right hand, and thine arme and the light of thy countenance, because thou didest fauour them.
4 You [are] He, my King, O God, Command the deliverances of Jacob.
Thou art my King, O God: send helpe vnto Iaakob.
5 By You we push our adversaries, By Your Name we tread down our withstanders,
Through thee haue we thrust backe our aduersaries: by thy Name haue we troden downe them that rose vp against vs.
6 For I do not trust in my bow, And my sword does not save me.
For I do not trust in my bowe, neither can my sworde saue me.
7 For You have saved us from our adversaries, And You have put to shame those hating us.
But thou hast saued vs from our aduersaries, and hast put them to confusion that hate vs.
8 In God we have boasted all the day, And we thank Your Name for all time. (Selah)
Therefore will wee praise God continually, and will confesse thy Name for euer. (Selah)
9 In anger You have cast off and cause us to blush, And do not go forth with our hosts.
But now thou art farre off, and puttest vs to confusion, and goest not forth with our armies.
10 You cause us to turn backward from an adversary, And those hating us, Have spoiled for themselves.
Thou makest vs to turne backe from the aduersary, and they, which hate vs, spoile for theselues.
11 You make us food like sheep, And You have scattered us among nations.
Thou giuest vs as sheepe to bee eaten, and doest scatter vs among the nations.
12 You sell Your people—without wealth, And have not become great by their price.
Thou sellest thy people without gaine, and doest not increase their price.
13 You make us a reproach to our neighbors, A scorn and a reproach to our surrounders.
Thou makest vs a reproche to our neighbours, a iest and a laughing stocke to them that are round about vs.
14 You make us an allegory among nations, A shaking of the head among peoples.
Thou makest vs a prouerbe among the nations, and a nodding of the head among the people.
15 All the day my confusion [is] before me, And the shame of my face has covered me.
My confusion is dayly before me, and the shame of my face hath couered me,
16 Because of the voice of a reproacher and reviler, Because of an enemy and a self-avenger.
For the voyce of the slaunderer and rebuker, for the enemie and auenger.
17 All this met us, and we did not forget You, Nor have we dealt falsely in Your covenant.
All this is come vpon vs, yet doe wee not forget thee, neither deale wee falsly concerning thy couenant.
18 We do not turn our heart backward, Nor turn aside our step from Your path.
Our heart is not turned backe: neither our steps gone out of thy paths,
19 But You have struck us in a place of dragons, And cover us over with death-shade.
Albeit thou hast smitten vs downe into the place of dragons, and couered vs with the shadow of death.
20 If we have forgotten the Name of our God, And spread our hands to a strange God,
If wee haue forgotten the Name of our God, and holden vp our hands to a strange god,
21 Does God not search this out? For He knows the secrets of the heart.
Shall not God searche this out? for hee knoweth the secrets of the heart.
22 Surely, for Your sake we have been slain all the day, Reckoned as sheep of the slaughter.
Surely for thy sake are we slaine continually, and are counted as sheepe for the slaughter.
23 Stir up—why do You sleep, O Lord? Awake, do not cast us off forever.
Vp, why sleepest thou, O Lord? awake, be not farre off for euer.
24 Why do You hide Your face? You forget our afflictions and our oppression,
Wherefore hidest thou thy face? and forgettest our miserie and our affliction?
25 For our soul has bowed to the dust, Our belly has cleaved to the earth.
For our soule is beaten downe vnto the dust: our belly cleaueth vnto the ground.
26 Arise, a help to us, And ransom us for your kindness’ sake.
Rise vp for our succour, and redeeme vs for thy mercies sake.