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, for the sons of Korach, a Maskil.” O God, with our ears have we heard, our fathers have told us, deeds which thou hadst done in their days, in times 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, with thy hand, didst indeed drive out nations, and plant them; thou didst ill-treat people, and cause them 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 sword did they obtain possession of the land, and their own arm brought them no victory; but thy right hand, and thy arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst given them thy favor.
4 You are my King and my God; it is you who enable us, your people [MTY], to defeat our enemies.
Thou art my King, O God: ordain salvation for Jacob.
5 It is by your power that we knock our enemies down and tramp on them.
Through thee will we butt down our assailants: through thy name will we tread under foot our opponents.
6 I do not trust that I will be saved by using my bow [and arrows] and my sword.
For not in my bow will I trust, and my sword shall not help 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].
But thou helpest us against our assailants, and those that hate us thou puttest to shame.
8 We have continually boasted about what God [has done for us], and we will thank him [MTY] forever.
Of God we boast all the day, and to thy name will we give thanks 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 [now] thou hast cast off, and put us to the blush, and goest not 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 causest us to turn back from before our assailant: and they who hate us take 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 givest us up like sheep for food, and among the nations hast thou dispersed us.
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 sellest thy people for no value, and acquirest no gain by their price.
13 People who live in nations near us make fun of us; they laugh at us and deride/belittle us.
Thou renderest us a reproach to our neighbors, a scorn and a derision to those 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 renderest us a by-word among the nations, a shaking of the head among the people.
15 All day I feel disgraced; from seeing my face, people know that I am ashamed.
All the day is my disgrace before me, and the shame of my face covereth 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 him that seeketh vengeance.
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 over us, yet have we not forgotten thee; nor have we dealt falsely by 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 moved backward, nor hath our step turned aside 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].
Even when thou didst crush us in the abode of monsters, and cover 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, or spread forth 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 out this? 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 slain all the day; we are counted as flocks [destined] for slaughter.
23 [So], Yahweh, arise! Why are you asleep [RHQ]? Get up! Do not reject us forever!
Awake, wherefore wilt thou sleep, O Lord? arise, abandon us not 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 wilt thou hide thy face, wilt thou forget our misery, 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 body cleaveth unto the earth.
26 Arise, and come and help us! Rescue us because you faithfully love us!
Arise unto our help, and redeem us for the sake of thy kindness.
