Psalms 44
1 To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, Maschil. We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us, [what] work thou didst in their days, in the times 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 [How] thou didst drive out the heathen with thy hand, and didst plant them; [how] thou didst afflict the people, and cast them out.
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 obtained not the land in possession 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 hadst a favor to 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 Thou art my King, O God: command deliverances for Jacob.
God, you are my King; command victories for Jacob!
5 Through thee will we push down our enemies: through thy name we will tread them under that rise up against us.
Only through you can we repel our enemies; only in your name can we defeat our opponents.
6 For I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me.
I do not trust my bow; I do not have confidence in my sword to save me.
7 But thou hast saved us from our enemies, and hast put them to shame that hated us.
You are the one who saves us from our enemies; you defeat those who hate us.
8 In God we boast all the day long, and praise thy name for ever. (Selah)
God, we proudly thank you all day long, and praise your name forever. (Selah)
9 But thou hast cast off, and put us to shame; and goest not forth with our armies.
But now you have rejected and disgraced us; you no longer accompany our armies.
10 Thou makest us to turn back from the enemy: and they who hate us plunder for themselves.
You made us run from our enemies, and those who hate us have taken whatever they wanted.
11 Thou hast given us like sheep [appointed] for food; and hast scattered us among the heathen.
You have handed us over like sheep to be slaughtered; you have scattered us among the other nations.
12 Thou sellest thy people for naught, and dost not increase [thy wealth] by their price.
You have sold your own people for next to nothing, making no profit on the sale.
13 Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbors, a scorn and a derision to them that are around us.
You have made a mockery of us before our neighbors, we are ridiculed and laughed at by those around us.
14 Thou makest us a by-word among the heathen, a shaking of the head among the people.
You have made us a joke to the other nations; they scornfully shake their heads at us.
15 My confusion [is] continually before me, and the shame of my face hath covered me,
We are humiliated all day long; we hold our heads in shame,
16 For the voice of him that reproacheth and blasphemeth; by reason of the enemy and avenger.
because of all the insults from the people mocking us, because our vengeful enemies are right in front of us.
17 All this is come upon us; yet we have not forgotten thee, neither have we dealt falsely in thy 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 Our heart is not turned back, neither have our steps declined from thy way;
We have not turned away from you, not in thought, nor in action.
19 Though thou hast severely broke us in the place of dragons, and covered us with the shades of death.
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, or stretched out our hands to a strange god;
If we had forgotten the name of our God, or worshiped other gods,
21 Will not God search out this? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart.
wouldn't God have been aware of this, because he knows everyone's thoughts?
22 Yes, for thy sake are we killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter.
But because of you we are killed all day long; we're considered just sheep to be slaughtered.
23 Awake, why sleepest thou, O LORD? arise, cast [us] not off for ever.
Lord, wake up! Why are you sleeping? Get up! Don't turn your back on us forever!
24 Why hidest thou thy face, [and] forgettest our affliction and our oppression?
Why do you look away from us and take no notice of our suffering and misery?
25 For our soul is bowed down to the dust: our belly cleaveth to the earth.
We lie ruined in the dust, our bodies face down in the dirt.
26 Arise for our help, and redeem us for thy mercies' sake.
Stand up! Come and help us! Save us because of your trustworthy love!
