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.
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 [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].
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 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.
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 You are my King and my God; it is you who enable us, your people [MTY], to defeat our enemies.
God, you are my King; command victories for Jacob!
5 It is by your power that we knock our enemies down and tramp on them.
Only through you can we repel our enemies; only in your name can we defeat our opponents.
6 I do not trust that I will be saved by using my bow [and arrows] and my sword.
I do not trust my bow; I do not have confidence in my sword to 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].
You are the one who saves us from our enemies; you defeat those who hate us.
8 We have continually boasted about what God [has done for us], and we will thank him [MTY] forever.
God, we proudly thank you all day long, and praise your name forever. (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 now you have rejected and disgraced us; you no longer accompany 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.
You made us run from our enemies, and those who hate us have taken whatever they wanted.
11 You have allowed us to become like [MET] sheep that were ready to be slaughtered; you scattered us [far away] among [other].
You have handed us over like sheep to be slaughtered; you have scattered us among the other 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!
You have sold your own people for next to nothing, making no profit on the sale.
13 People who live in nations near us make fun of us; they laugh at us and deride/belittle us.
You have made a mockery of us before our neighbors, we are ridiculed and laughed at by those around us.
14 They make jokes using the name of [our country], they shake their heads [to indicate that they despise us].
You have made us a joke to the other nations; they scornfully shake their heads at us.
15 All day I feel disgraced; from seeing my face, people know that I am ashamed.
We are humiliated all day long; we hold our heads in shame,
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 all the insults from the people mocking us, because our vengeful enemies are right in front of us.
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 has happened to us even though we didn't forget you; we haven't been unfaithful to the promises we made to you.
18 We have not stopped being loyal to you, and we have not stopped doing what you want us to do [IDM].
We have not turned away from you, not in thought, nor in action.
19 But [it is as though] you have allowed us to be helpless among wild animals, and abandoned us in a deep dark [ravine].
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 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, or worshiped other gods,
21 you certainly would have known that, because you know [even] what we secretly think.
wouldn't God have been aware of this, because he knows everyone's thoughts?
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 because of you we are killed all day long; we're considered just sheep to be slaughtered.
23 [So], Yahweh, arise! Why are you asleep [RHQ]? Get up! Do not reject us forever!
Lord, wake up! Why are you sleeping? Get up! Don't turn your back on us forever!
24 Why are you not looking at us? Why are you forgetting that we are suffering and being oppressed [by our enemies]?
Why do you look away from us and take no notice of our suffering and misery?
25 We are pushed down to the ground and we cannot get up.
We lie ruined in the dust, our bodies face down in the dirt.
26 Arise, and come and help us! Rescue us because you faithfully love us!
Stand up! Come and help us! Save us because of your trustworthy love!
