Psalms 44

1 To the chief music-maker. Of the sons of Korah Maschil. It has come to our ears, O God, our fathers have given us the story, of the works which you did in their days, in the old times,

[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.

2 Uprooting the nations with your hand, and planting our fathers in their place; cutting down the nations, but increasing the growth of your people.

You drove out the nations with your hand, but you planted them. You afflicted the peoples, but you spread them abroad.

3 For they did not make the land theirs by their swords, and it was not their arms which kept them safe; but your right hand, and your arm, and the light of your face, because you had pleasure in them.

For they did not get the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them; but your right hand, and your arm, and the light of your face, because you were favorable to them.

4 You are my King and my God; ordering salvation for Jacob.

You are my King, my God, who commands victories for Jacob.

5 Through you will we overcome our haters; by your name will they be crushed under our feet who are violent against us.

Through you we will push back our adversaries. Through your name we will trample down those who rise up against us.

6 I will not put faith in my bow, my sword will not be my salvation.

For I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me.

7 But it is you who have been our saviour from those who were against us, and have put to shame those who had hate for us.

But you have saved us from our adversaries, and have shamed those who hate us.

8 Our pride is in God at all times, to his name we give praise for ever. (Selah)

In God we have made our boast all day long, we will give thanks to your name forever. (Selah)

9 But now you have sent us away from you, and put us to shame; you do not go out with our armies.

But now you rejected us, and brought us to dishonor, and do not go out with our armies.

10 Because of this we are turned back by the attacker: those who have hate for us take our goods for themselves.

You make us turn back from the adversary. Those who hate us take spoil for themselves.

11 You have made us like sheep which are taken for meat; we are put to flight among the nations.

You have made us like sheep for food, and have scattered us among the nations.

12 You let your people go for nothing; your wealth is not increased by their price.

You sell your people for nothing, and have gained nothing from their sale.

13 You have made us to be looked down on by our neighbours, we are laughed at and shamed by those who are round about us.

You make us the taunt of our neighbors, a scoffing and a derision to those who are around us.

14 Our name is a word of shame among the nations, a sign for the shaking of heads among the peoples.

You make us a byword among the nations, a shaking of the head among the peoples.

15 My downfall is ever before me, and I am covered with the shame of my face;

All day long my dishonor is before me, and shame covers my face,

16 Because of the voice of him who says sharp and bitter words; because of the hater and him who is the instrument of punishment.

At the taunt of one who reproaches and verbally abuses, because of the enemy and the avenger.

17 All this has come on us, but still we have kept you in our memory; and we have not been false to your word.

All this has come on us, yet have we not forgotten you, Neither have we been false to your covenant.

18 Our hearts have not gone back, and our steps have not been turned out of your way;

Our heart has not turned back, neither have our steps strayed from your path,

19 Though you have let us be crushed in the place of jackals, though we are covered with darkest shade.

Though you have crushed us in the haunt of jackals, and covered us with the shadow of death.

20 If the name of our God has gone out of our minds, or if our hands have been stretched out to a strange god,

If we have forgotten the name of our God, or spread forth our hands to a strange god;

21 Will not God make search for it? for he sees the secrets of the heart.

won't God search this out? For he knows the secrets of the heart.

22 Truly, because of you we are put to death every day; we are numbered like sheep for destruction.

For your sake we are killed all day long. We are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.

23 Why are you sleeping, O Lord? awake! and come to our help, do not give us up for ever.

Wake up. Why do you sleep, LORD? Arise. Do not reject us forever.

24 Why is your face covered, and why do you give no thought to our trouble and our cruel fate?

Why do you hide your face, and forget our affliction and our oppression?

25 For our souls are crushed down to the dust: our bodies are stretched out on the earth.

For our soul is bowed down to the dust. Our body cleaves to the earth.

26 Up! and come to our help, and give us salvation because of your mercy.

Rise up to help us. Redeem us for your loving kindness' sake.