Psalms 44

1 For the Chief Musician. By the sons of Korah. A contemplative psalm. We have heard with our ears, God; our fathers have told us what work you did in their days, in the days 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 You drove out the nations with your hand, but you planted them. You afflicted the peoples, but you spread them abroad.

[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 didn’t get the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them; but your right hand, your arm, and the light of your face, because you were favorable to 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 God, you are my King. Command victories for Jacob!

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

5 Through you, we will push down our adversaries. Through your name, we will tread down those who 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 will my sword save me.

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

7 But you have saved us from our adversaries, and have shamed those who hate 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 have made our boast all day long. We will give thanks to your name forever. (Selah)

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

9 But now you rejected us, and brought us to dishonor, and don’t go out 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 You make us turn back from the adversary. Those who hate us take plunder 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 You have made us like sheep for food, and have scattered us among the nations.

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

12 You sell your people for nothing, and have gained nothing from their sale.

[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 You make us a reproach to our neighbors, a scoffing and a derision to those who are around us.

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

14 You make us a byword among the nations, a shaking of the head among the peoples.

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

15 All day long my dishonor is before me, and shame covers my face,

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

16 at the taunt of one who reproaches and verbally abuses, because of the enemy and the 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 has come on us, yet we haven’t forgotten you. We haven’t been false to your 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 has not turned back, neither have our steps strayed from your path,

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

19 though you have crushed us in the haunt of jackals, 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 spread 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 won’t God search this out? For he knows the secrets of the heart.

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

22 Yes, for your sake we are killed all day long. We are regarded 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 Wake up! Why do you sleep, Lord? Arise! Don’t reject us forever.

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

24 Why do you hide your face, and forget 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 body clings to the earth.

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

26 Rise up to help us. Redeem us for your loving kindness’ sake.

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