< Psalms 44 >
1 For the Chief Musician. By the sons of Korah. A contemplative psalm. We have heard with our ears, God; our fathers have told us what work you did in their days, in the days of old.
Unto the end, for the sons of Core, to give understanding. We have heard, O God, with our ears: our fathers have declared to us, The work, thou hast wrought in their days, and in the days of old.
2 You drove out the nations with your hand, but you planted them. You afflicted the peoples, but you spread them abroad.
Thy hand destroyed the Gentiles, and thou plantedst them: thou didst afflict the people and cast them out.
3 For they didn’t get the land in 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 they got not the possession of the land 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 wast pleased with them.
4 God, you are my King. Command victories for Jacob!
Thou art thyself my king and my God, who commandest the saving of Jacob.
5 Through you, we will push down our adversaries. Through your name, we will tread down those who rise up against us.
Through thee we will push down our enemies with the horn: and through thy name we will despise them that rise up against us.
6 For I will not trust in my bow, neither will my sword save me.
For I will not trust in my bow: neither shall my sword save me.
7 But you have saved us from our adversaries, and have shamed those who hate us.
But thou hast saved us from them that afflict us: and hast put them to shame that hate us.
8 In God we have made our boast all day long. We will give thanks to your name forever. (Selah)
In God shall we glory all the day long: and in thy name we will give praise for ever.
9 But now you rejected us, and brought us to dishonor, and don’t go out with our armies.
But now thou hast cast us off, and put us to shame: and thou, O God, wilt not go out with our armies.
10 You make us turn back from the adversary. Those who hate us take plunder for themselves.
Thou hast made us turn our back to our enemies: and they that hated us plundered for themselves.
11 You have made us like sheep for food, and have scattered us among the nations.
Thou hast given us up like sheep to be eaten: thou hast scattered us among the nations.
12 You sell your people for nothing, and have gained nothing from their sale.
Thou hast sold thy people for no price: and there was no reckoning in the exchange of them.
13 You make us a reproach to our neighbors, a scoffing and a derision to those who are around us.
Thou hast made us a reproach to our neighbours, a scoff and derision to them that are round about us.
14 You make us a byword among the nations, a shaking of the head among the peoples.
Thou hast made us a byword among the Gentiles: a shaking of the head among the people.
15 All day long my dishonor is before me, and shame covers my face,
All the day long my shame is before me: and the confusion of my face hath covered me,
16 at the taunt of one who reproaches and verbally abuses, because of the enemy and the avenger.
At the voice of him that reproacheth and detracteth me: at the face of the enemy and persecutor.
17 All this has come on us, yet we haven’t forgotten you. We haven’t been false to your covenant.
All these things have come upon us, yet we have not forgotten thee: and we have not done wickedly in they covenant.
18 Our heart has not turned back, neither have our steps strayed from your path,
And our heart hath not turned back: neither hast thou turned aside our steps from thy way.
19 though you have crushed us in the haunt of jackals, and covered us with the shadow of death.
For thou hast humbled us in the place of affliction: and the shadow of death hath covered us.
20 If we have forgotten the name of our God, or spread out our hands to a strange god,
If we have forgotten the name of our God, and if we have spread forth our hands to a strange god:
21 won’t God search this out? For he knows the secrets of the heart.
Shall not God search out these things: for he knoweth the secrets of the heart.
22 Yes, for your sake we are killed all day long. We are regarded as sheep for the slaughter.
Because for thy sake we are killed all the day long: we are counted as sheep for the slaughter.
23 Wake up! Why do you sleep, Lord? Arise! Don’t reject us forever.
Arise, why sleepest thou, O Lord? arise, and cast us not off to the end.
24 Why do you hide your face, and forget our affliction and our oppression?
Why turnest thou face away? and forgettest our want and our trouble?
25 For our soul is bowed down to the dust. Our body clings to the earth.
For our soul is humbled down to the dust: our belly cleaveth to the earth.
26 Rise up to help us. Redeem us for your loving kindness’ sake.
Arise, O Lord, help us and redeem us for thy name’s sake.