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 leader. Of the Korahites. A maskil. O God, we have heard with our ears, all our ancestors have told us of the work that you wrought in their day, your wonders in 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.

uprooting and crushing the nations, then planting and settling them. For it wasn’t their own sword that won them the land,

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.

it was not their own arm that brought them the victory. Yours was the hand and the arm, yours was the face that shone on them with favour.

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

It was you, my king and my God, that ordained the victories of 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 can thrust back our foes, and by your name tread down our assailants:

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

for not in my bow do I trust, nor can my sword win me the victory.

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.

Our victory comes from you, and confusion to 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 boast all the day long, and your name will we praise 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.

Yet you have spurned and disgraced us, in not going forth 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.

and in making us flee from the foe, so that those who hated us plundered us.

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

You have let us be eaten like sheep, you have scattered us over the world,

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

sold your people for a pittance, and getting no gain from their price.

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 have made us the butt of our neighbours, the derision and scorn of all round us.

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

O’er the world you have made us a byword, the nations at us shake their heads.

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

My disgrace is forever before me, my face is covered with shame,

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 words of blasphemer and scoffer, at the sight of the foe and the vengeful.

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 upon us, yet we have not forgotten you nor falsely dealt with 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, nor our steps declined from your way,

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

that you thus should have crushed us down, and covered us over with gloom, in the place where the jackals roam.

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,

Had we forgotten the name of our God, or stretched out our hands to a god that was strange,

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

would God not have searched this out? For he knows the heart and its secrets.

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

But in your cause it is we are killed all the day, and counted as sheep for the slaughter.

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

Rouse yourself, why do you sleep Lord? Awake, cast us not off 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, forgetting our stress and our misery?

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

For we have sunk down to the dust, our bodies cling to the ground.

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

Arise, come to our help: for your love’s sake, ransom us.