Psalm 44

Psalm 44a

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A maskil.b

1 We have heard it with our ears,h O God;

our ancestors have told usi

what you did in their days,

in days long ago.j

2 With your hand you drove outk the nations

and plantedl our ancestors;

you crushedm the peoples

and made our ancestors flourish.n

3 It was not by their swordo that they won the land,

nor did their arm bring them victory;

it was your right hand,p your arm,q

and the lightr of your face, for you loveds them.

4 You are my Kingt and my God,u

who decreesc victoriesv for Jacob.

5 Through you we push backw our enemies;

through your name we tramplex our foes.

6 I put no trust in my bow,y

my sword does not bring me victory;

7 but you give us victoryz over our enemies,

you put our adversaries to shame.a

8 In God we make our boastb all day long,c

and we will praise your name forever.d d

9 But now you have rejectede and humbled us;f

you no longer go out with our armies.g

10 You made us retreath before the enemy,

and our adversaries have plunderedi us.

11 You gave us up to be devoured like sheepj

and have scattered us among the nations.k

12 You sold your people for a pittance,l

gaining nothing from their sale.

13 You have made us a reproachm to our neighbors,n

the scorno and derisionp of those around us.

14 You have made us a bywordq among the nations;

the peoples shake their headsr at us.

15 I live in disgraces all day long,

and my face is covered with shamet

16 at the tauntsu of those who reproach and revilev me,

because of the enemy, who is bent on revenge.w

17 All this came upon us,

though we had not forgottenx you;

we had not been false to your covenant.

18 Our hearts had not turnedy back;

our feet had not strayed from your path.

19 But you crushedz us and made us a haunt for jackals;a

you covered us over with deep darkness.b

20 If we had forgottenc the name of our God

or spread out our hands to a foreign god,d

21 would not God have discovered it,

since he knows the secrets of the heart?e

22 Yet for your sake we face death all day long;

we are considered as sheepf to be slaughtered.g

23 Awake,h Lord! Why do you sleep?i

Rouse yourself!j Do not reject us forever.k

24 Why do you hide your facel

and forgetm our misery and oppression?n

25 We are brought down to the dust;o

our bodies cling to the ground.

26 Rise upp and help us;

rescueq us because of your unfailing love.r