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.
“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 them. You afflicted the peoples, but you spread them abroad.
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 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 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 victories 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 down 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 shamed 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 day long. 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 rejected us, and brought us to dishonor, and don’t 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. Those who hate us take plunder 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 for food, 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, and have gained nothing from their sale.
Thou sellest thy people for no value, and acquirest no gain by their price.
13 You make us a reproach to our neighbors, a scoffing and a derision to those who are 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 a byword 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 day long my dishonor is before me, and shame covers my face,
All the day is my disgrace before me, and the shame of my face covereth me;
16 at the taunt of one who reproaches and verbally abuses, 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 haven’t forgotten you. We haven’t been false to 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, neither have our steps strayed from your path,
Our heart is not moved backward, nor hath our step turned aside from thy path:
19 though you have crushed us in the haunt 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 won’t 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 Yes, for your sake we are killed all day long. We are regarded as sheep for the slaughter.
But for thy sake are we slain all the day; we are counted as flocks [destined] for slaughter.
23 Wake up! Why do you sleep, Lord? Arise! Don’t reject us forever.
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 our soul is bowed down to the dust. Our body clings to the earth.
For our soul is bowed down to the dust; our body cleaveth unto the earth.
26 Rise up to help us. Redeem us for your loving kindness’ sake.
Arise unto our help, and redeem us for the sake of thy kindness.
