< Psalms 44 >
1 For the chief musician. A psalm of the sons of Korah. A maschil. We have heard with our ears, God, our fathers have told us what work you did in their days, in the days of old.
“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.
2 You drove out the nations with your hand, but you planted our people; you afflicted the peoples, but you spread our people out in the land.
Thou, with thy hand, didst indeed drive out nations, and plant them; thou didst ill-treat people, and cause them to spread out.
3 For they did not obtain the land for their possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them; but your right hand, your arm, and the light of your face, because you were favorable to them.
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.
4 God, You are my King; command victory for Jacob.
Thou art my King, O God: ordain salvation for Jacob.
5 Through you we will push down our adversaries; through your name we will tread them under, those who rise up against us.
Through thee will we butt down our assailants: through thy name will we tread under foot our opponents.
6 For I will not trust in my bow, neither will my sword save me.
For not in my bow will I trust, and my sword shall not help me.
7 But you have saved us from our adversaries, and have put to shame those who hate us.
But thou helpest us against our assailants, and those that hate us thou puttest to shame.
8 In God we have made our boast all the day long, and we will give thanks to your name forever. (Selah)
Of God we boast all the day, and to thy name will we give thanks for ever. (Selah)
9 But now you have thrown us off and brought us dishonor, and you do not go out with our armies.
But [now] thou hast cast off, and put us to the blush, and goest not forth with our armies.
10 You make us turn back from the adversary; and those who hate us take spoil for themselves.
Thou causest us to turn back from before our assailant: and they who hate us take spoil for themselves.
11 You have made us like sheep to be slaughtered and have scattered us among the nations.
Thou givest us up like sheep for food, and among the nations hast thou dispersed us.
12 You sell your people for nothing; you have not increased your wealth by doing so.
Thou sellest thy people for no value, and acquirest no gain by their price.
13 You make us a rebuke to our neighbors, scoffed and mocked by those around us.
Thou renderest us a reproach to our neighbors, a scorn and a derision to those that are round about us.
14 You make us an insult among the nations, a shaking of the head among the peoples.
Thou renderest us a by-word among the nations, a shaking of the head among the people.
15 All the day long my dishonor is before me, and the shame of my face has covered me
All the day is my disgrace before me, and the shame of my face covereth me;
16 because of the voice of him who rebukes and insults, because of the enemy and the avenger.
Because of the voice of him that reproacheth and blasphemeth; by reason of the enemy and him that seeketh vengeance.
17 All this has come on us; yet we have not forgotten you or dealt falsely with your covenant.
All this is come over us, yet have we not forgotten thee; nor have we dealt falsely by thy covenant;
18 Our heart has not turned back; our steps have not gone from your way.
Our heart is not moved backward, nor hath our step turned aside from thy path:
19 Yet you have severely broken us in the place of jackals and covered us with the shadow of death.
Even when thou didst crush us in the abode of monsters, and cover us with the shadow of death.
20 If we have forgotten the name of our God or spread out our hands to a strange god,
If we had forgotten the name of our God, or spread forth our hands to a strange God:
21 would not God search this out? For he knows the secrets of the heart.
Would not God search out this? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart.
22 Indeed, for your sake we are being killed all day long; we are considered to be sheep for the slaughter.
But for thy sake are we slain all the day; we are counted as flocks [destined] for slaughter.
23 Awake, why do you sleep, Lord? Arise, do not throw us off permanently.
Awake, wherefore wilt thou sleep, O Lord? arise, abandon us not for ever.
24 Why do you hide your face and forget our affliction and our oppression?
Wherefore wilt thou hide thy face, wilt thou forget our misery, and our oppression?
25 For we have melted away into the dust; our bodies cling to the earth.
For our soul is bowed down to the dust; our body cleaveth unto the earth.
26 Rise up for our help and redeem us for the sake of your covenant faithfulness.
Arise unto our help, and redeem us for the sake of thy kindness.