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 end, a Psalm for instruction, for the sons of Core. O God, we have heard with our ears, our fathers have told us, the work which you wrought 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].

Your hand utterly destroyed the heathen, and you did plant them: you did afflict the nations, and cast them 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 they inherited not the land by their [own] sword, and their [own] arm did not deliver them; but your right hand, and your arm, and the light of your countenance, because you were well pleased in them.

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

You are indeed my King and my God, who command deliverances for Jacob.

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

In you will we push down our enemies, and in your name will we bring to nothing them 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 trust in my bow, and my sword shall not 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 you have saved us from them that afflicted us, and have put to shame them that hated us.

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

In God will we make our boast all the day, and to your name will we give thanks for ever. (Pause)

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 cast off, and put us to shame; and you will not go forth with our hosts.

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

You have turned us back before our enemies; and they that hated us spoiled 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].

You made us as sheep for meat; and you 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!

You have sold your people without price, and there was no profit by their exchange.

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

You have made us a reproach to our neighbors, a scorn and derision 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].

You have made us a proverb among the Gentiles, a shaking of the head among the nations.

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

All the day my shame is before me, and the confusion of my face has 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 the slanderer and reviler; because of the enemy and 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 these things are come upon us: but we have not forgotten you, neither have we dealt unrighteously in your covenant.

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

And our heart has not gone back; but you have turned aside our paths from your way.

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

For you have laid us low in a place of affliction, and the shadow of death has covered us.

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 have forgotten the name of our God, and if we have spread out our hands to a strange god; shall not God search these things out?

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

for he knows 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.

For, for your sake we are killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for slaughter.

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

Awake, therefore sleep you, O Lord? arise, and do not cast [us] 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]?

Therefore turn you your face away, [and] forget our poverty and our affliction?

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

For our soul has been brought down to the dust; our belly has cleaved to the earth.

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

Arise, O Lord, help us, and redeem us for your name's sake.