Psalms 44

1 To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, Maschil. We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us, [what] work thou didst in their days, in the times of old.

God, we ourselves have heard what our parents and grandparents told us. They told us about the miracles that you performed long ago.

2 [How] thou didst drive out the heathen with thy hand, and plantedst them; [how] thou didst afflict the people, and cast them out.

[They told us] how you expelled the ungodly people and enabled us to live in their land. [They told us] that you punished those ungodly people and enabled your own people to prosper [IDM].

3 For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favour unto them.

It was not by using their own swords that they conquered the people that lived in that land, and it was not by their own power that they were victorious; it was only by your power [MTY, DOU] [that they did those things]; and they were sure that you were with them, and that showed that you were pleased with them.

4 Thou art my King, O God: command deliverances for Jacob.

You are my King and my God; it is you who enable us, your people [MTY], to defeat our enemies.

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

It is by your power that we knock our enemies down and tramp on them.

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

I do not trust that I will be saved by using my bow [and arrows] and my sword.

7 But thou hast saved us from our enemies, and hast put them to shame that hated us.

No, it is you who have rescued us from our enemies, it is you who have caused those who hate us to become ashamed [because they were defeated].

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

We have continually boasted about what God [has done for us], and we will thank him [MTY] forever.

9 But thou hast cast off, and put us to shame; and goest not forth with our armies.

But [now] you have rejected us and caused us to be disgraced; when our armies march out [to fight a battle], you no [longer] go with them.

10 Thou makest us to turn back from the enemy: and they which hate us spoil for themselves.

You have caused us to run away from our enemies, with the result that they captured the things that belonged to us.

11 Thou hast given us like sheep [appointed] for meat; and hast scattered us among the heathen.

You have allowed us to become like [MET] sheep that were ready to be slaughtered; you scattered us [far away] among [other].

12 Thou sellest thy people for nought, and dost not increase [thy wealth] by their price.

[It is as though] [MET] you sold us, your people, [to our enemies] for a very small price, and you did not gain much profit from selling us!

13 Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and a derision to them that are round about us.

People who live in nations near us make fun of us; they laugh at us and deride/belittle us.

14 Thou makest us a byword among the heathen, a shaking of the head among the people.

They make jokes using the name of [our country], they shake their heads [to indicate that they despise us].

15 My confusion [is] continually before me, and the shame of my face hath covered me,

All day I feel disgraced; from seeing my face, people know that I am ashamed.

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

I hear what those who sneer at me and revile me say; I am ashamed in front of my enemies and those who want to harm me.

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

All these things have happened to us [even] though we have not forgotten you, and we are not the ones who disobeyed the agreement you made with [our ancestors].

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

We have not stopped being loyal to you, and we have not stopped doing what you want us to do [IDM].

19 Though thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons, and covered us with the shadow of death.

But [it is as though] you have allowed us to be helpless among wild animals, and abandoned us in a deep dark [ravine].

20 If we have forgotten the name of our God, or stretched out our hands to a strange god;

If we had forgotten to worship [MTY] our God, or if we had spread out our hands to [worship] a foreign god,

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

you certainly would have known that, because you know [even] what we secretly think.

22 Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter.

But it is because we belong to you, [that our enemies] are constantly killing us. They act toward us as though we were only sheep to be slaughtered.

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

[So], Yahweh, arise! Why are you asleep [RHQ]? Get up! Do not reject us forever!

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

Why are you not looking at us? Why are you forgetting that we are suffering and being oppressed [by our enemies]?

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

We are pushed down to the ground and we cannot get up.

26 Arise for our help, and redeem us for thy mercies’ sake.

Arise, and come and help us! Rescue us because you faithfully love us!