Psalms 44
1 God, we ourselves have heard what our parents and grandparents told us. They told us about the miracles that you performed long ago.
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:
2 [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].
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.
3 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.
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.
4 You are my King and my God; it is you who enable us, your people [MTY], to defeat our enemies.
Thou thyself art my king, O God: command deliverance for Jacob.
5 It is by your power that we knock our enemies down and tramp on them.
Through thee will we push down our adversaries; through thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us.
6 I do not trust that I will be saved by using my bow [and arrows] and my sword.
For I will not put confidence in my bow, neither shall my sword save me.
7 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].
For thou hast saved us from our adversaries, and hast put them to shame that hate us.
8 We have continually boasted about what God [has done for us], and we will thank him [MTY] forever.
In God will we boast all the day, and we will praise thy name for ever. (Selah)
9 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.
But thou hast cast off, and put us to confusion, and dost not go forth with our armies;
10 You have caused us to run away from our enemies, with the result that they captured the things that belonged to us.
Thou hast made us to turn back from the adversary, and they that hate us spoil for themselves;
11 You have allowed us to become like [MET] sheep that were ready to be slaughtered; you scattered us [far away] among [other].
Thou hast given us over like sheep [appointed] for meat, and hast scattered us among the nations;
12 [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!
Thou hast sold thy people for nought, and hast not increased [thy wealth] by their price;
13 People who live in nations near us make fun of us; they laugh at us and deride/belittle us.
Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbours, a mockery and a derision for them that are round about us;
14 They make jokes using the name of [our country], they shake their heads [to indicate that they despise us].
Thou makest us a byword among the nations, a shaking of the head among the peoples.
15 All day I feel disgraced; from seeing my face, people know that I am ashamed.
All the day my confusion is before me, and the shame of my face hath covered me,
16 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.
Because of the voice of him that reproacheth and blasphemeth; by reason of the enemy and the avenger.
17 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].
All this is come upon us; yet have we not forgotten thee, neither have we dealt falsely against thy covenant:
18 We have not stopped being loyal to you, and we have not stopped doing what you want us to do [IDM].
Our heart is not turned back, neither have our steps declined from thy path;
19 But [it is as though] you have allowed us to be helpless among wild animals, and abandoned us in a deep dark [ravine].
Though thou hast crushed us in the place of jackals, and covered us with the shadow of death.
20 If we had forgotten to worship [MTY] our God, or if we had spread out our hands to [worship] a foreign god,
If we had forgotten the name of our God, and stretched out our hands to a strange god,
21 you certainly would have known that, because you know [even] what we secretly think.
Would not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart.
22 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.
But for thy sake are we killed all the day long; we are reckoned as sheep for slaughter.
23 [So], Yahweh, arise! Why are you asleep [RHQ]? Get up! Do not reject us forever!
Awake, why sleepest thou, Lord? arise, cast [us] not off for ever.
24 Why are you not looking at us? Why are you forgetting that we are suffering and being oppressed [by our enemies]?
Wherefore hidest thou thy face, [and] forgettest our affliction and our oppression?
25 We are pushed down to the ground and we cannot get up.
For our soul is bowed down to the dust; our belly cleaveth unto the earth.
26 Arise, and come and help us! Rescue us because you faithfully love us!
Rise up for our help, and redeem us for thy loving-kindness' sake.
