Psalms 44

1 To the chief Musician. Of the sons of Korah. An instruction. O God, with our ears have we heard, our fathers have told us, the work thou wroughtest in their days, in the days of old:

For the music director. A psalm (maskil) of the sons of Korah. God, we have heard with our own ears—our forefathers have told us—all you did in their times, long ago.

2 Thou, by thy hand, didst dispossess the nations, but them thou didst plant; thou didst afflict the peoples, but them didst thou cause to spread out.

Through your power you drove out the other nations so you could settle our ancestors there; you defeated the nations and you sent our ancestors to occupy the land.

3 For not by their own sword did they take possession of the land, neither did their own arm save them; but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst delight in them.

They did not conquer the land using their swords; it was not through their own strength that the victory was won—it was by your strength, your power, and your presence with them, because you loved them.

4 Thou thyself art my king, O God: command deliverance for Jacob.

God, you are my King; command victories for Jacob!

5 Through thee will we push down our adversaries; through thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us.

Only through you can we repel our enemies; only in your name can we defeat our opponents.

6 For I will not put confidence in my bow, neither shall my sword save me.

I do not trust my bow; I do not have confidence in my sword to save me.

7 For thou hast saved us from our adversaries, and hast put them to shame that hate us.

You are the one who saves us from our enemies; you defeat those who hate us.

8 In God will we boast all the day, and we will praise thy name for ever. (Selah)

God, we proudly thank you all day long, and praise your name forever. (Selah)

9 But thou hast cast off, and put us to confusion, and dost not go forth with our armies;

But now you have rejected and disgraced us; you no longer accompany our armies.

10 Thou hast made us to turn back from the adversary, and they that hate us spoil for themselves;

You made us run from our enemies, and those who hate us have taken whatever they wanted.

11 Thou hast given us over like sheep [appointed] for meat, and hast scattered us among the nations;

You have handed us over like sheep to be slaughtered; you have scattered us among the other nations.

12 Thou hast sold thy people for nought, and hast not increased [thy wealth] by their price;

You have sold your own people for next to nothing, making no profit on the sale.

13 Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbours, a mockery and a derision for them that are round about us;

You have made a mockery of us before our neighbors, we are ridiculed and laughed at by those around us.

14 Thou makest us a byword among the nations, a shaking of the head among the peoples.

You have made us a joke to the other nations; they scornfully shake their heads at us.

15 All the day my confusion is before me, and the shame of my face hath covered me,

We are humiliated all day long; we hold our heads in shame,

16 Because of the voice of him that reproacheth and blasphemeth; by reason of the enemy and the avenger.

because of all the insults from the people mocking us, because our vengeful enemies are right in front of us.

17 All this is come upon us; yet have we not forgotten thee, neither have we dealt falsely against thy covenant:

All this has happened to us even though we didn't forget you; we haven't been unfaithful to the promises we made to you.

18 Our heart is not turned back, neither have our steps declined from thy path;

We have not turned away from you, not in thought, nor in action.

19 Though thou hast crushed us in the place of jackals, and covered us with the shadow of death.

Even so, you crushed us, and made us into a jackal's den. You have covered us with the darkness of death.

20 If we had forgotten the name of our God, and stretched out our hands to a strange god,

If we had forgotten the name of our God, or worshiped other gods,

21 Would not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart.

wouldn't God have been aware of this, because he knows everyone's thoughts?

22 But for thy sake are we killed all the day long; we are reckoned as sheep for slaughter.

But because of you we are killed all day long; we're considered just sheep to be slaughtered.

23 Awake, why sleepest thou, Lord? arise, cast [us] not off for ever.

Lord, wake up! Why are you sleeping? Get up! Don't turn your back on us forever!

24 Wherefore hidest thou thy face, [and] forgettest our affliction and our oppression?

Why do you look away from us and take no notice of our suffering and misery?

25 For our soul is bowed down to the dust; our belly cleaveth unto the earth.

We lie ruined in the dust, our bodies face down in the dirt.

26 Rise up for our help, and redeem us for thy loving-kindness' sake.

Stand up! Come and help us! Save us because of your trustworthy love!