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 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.
2 You drove out the nations with your hand, but you planted them. You afflicted the peoples, but you spread them abroad.
You, [with] Your hand, have dispossessed nations. And You plant them. You afflict peoples, and send them away.
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 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.
4 God, you are my King. Command victories for Jacob!
You [are] He, my King, O God, Command the deliverances of Jacob.
5 Through you, we will push down our adversaries. Through your name, we will tread down those who rise up against us.
By You we push our adversaries, By Your Name we tread down our withstanders,
6 For I will not trust in my bow, neither will my sword save me.
For I do not trust in my bow, And my sword does not save me.
7 But you have saved us from our adversaries, and have shamed those who hate us.
For You have saved us from our adversaries, And You have put to shame those hating us.
8 In God we have made our boast all day long. We will give thanks to your name forever. (Selah)
In God we have boasted all the day, And we thank Your Name for all time. (Selah)
9 But now you rejected us, and brought us to dishonor, and don’t go out with our armies.
In anger You have cast off and cause us to blush, And do not go forth with our hosts.
10 You make us turn back from the adversary. Those who hate us take plunder for themselves.
You cause us to turn backward from an adversary, And those hating us, Have spoiled for themselves.
11 You have made us like sheep for food, and have scattered us among the nations.
You make us food like sheep, And You have scattered us among nations.
12 You sell your people for nothing, and have gained nothing from their sale.
You sell Your people—without wealth, And have not become great by their price.
13 You make us a reproach to our neighbors, a scoffing and a derision to those who are around us.
You make us a reproach to our neighbors, A scorn and a reproach to our surrounders.
14 You make us a byword among the nations, a shaking of the head among the peoples.
You make us an allegory among nations, A shaking of the head among peoples.
15 All day long my dishonor is before me, and shame covers my face,
All the day my confusion [is] before me, And the shame of my face has covered me.
16 at the taunt of one who reproaches and verbally abuses, because of the enemy and the avenger.
Because of the voice of a reproacher and reviler, Because of an enemy and a self-avenger.
17 All this has come on us, yet we haven’t forgotten you. We haven’t been false to your covenant.
All this met us, and we did not forget You, Nor have we dealt falsely in Your covenant.
18 Our heart has not turned back, neither have our steps strayed from your path,
We do not turn our heart backward, Nor turn aside our step from Your path.
19 though you have crushed us in the haunt of jackals, and covered us with the shadow of death.
But You have struck us in a place of dragons, And cover us over with death-shade.
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 spread our hands to a strange God,
21 won’t God search this out? For he knows the secrets of the heart.
Does God not search this out? For He knows the secrets of the heart.
22 Yes, for your sake we are killed all day long. We are regarded as sheep for the slaughter.
Surely, for Your sake we have been slain all the day, Reckoned as sheep of the slaughter.
23 Wake up! Why do you sleep, Lord? Arise! Don’t reject us forever.
Stir up—why do You sleep, O Lord? Awake, do not cast us off forever.
24 Why do you hide your face, and forget our affliction and our oppression?
Why do You hide Your face? You forget our afflictions and our oppression,
25 For our soul is bowed down to the dust. Our body clings to the earth.
For our soul has bowed to the dust, Our belly has cleaved to the earth.
26 Rise up to help us. Redeem us for your loving kindness’ sake.
Arise, a help to us, And ransom us for your kindness’ sake.
