Psalm 44

Psalm 44

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

^*We have heard it with our ears,^a O God;

our ancestors have told us^b

what you did in their days,

in days long ago.^c

With your hand you drove out^d the nations

and planted^e our ancestors;

you crushed^f the peoples

and made our ancestors flourish.^g

It was not by their sword^h that they won the land,

nor did their arm bring them victory;

it was your right hand,ⁱ your arm,^j

and the light^k of your face, for you loved^l them.

You are my King^m and my God,ⁿ

who decrees victories^o for Jacob.

Through you we push back^p our enemies;

through your name we trample^q our foes.

I put no trust in my bow,^r

my sword does not bring me victory;

but you give us victory^s over our enemies,

you put our adversaries to shame.^t

In God we make our boast^u all day long,^v

and we will praise your name forever.^w

But now you have rejected^x and humbled us;^y

you no longer go out with our armies.^z

You made us retreat^a before the enemy,

and our adversaries have plundered^b us.

You gave us up to be devoured like sheep^c

and have scattered us among the nations.^d

You sold your people for a pittance,^e

gaining nothing from their sale.

You have made us a reproach^f to our neighbors,^g

the scorn^h and derisionⁱ of those around us.

You have made us a byword^j among the nations;

the peoples shake their heads^k at us.

I live in disgrace^l all day long,

and my face is covered with shame^m

at the tauntsⁿ of those who reproach and revile^o me,

because of the enemy, who is bent on revenge.^p

All this came upon us,

though we had not forgotten^q you;

we had not been false to your covenant.

Our hearts had not turned^r back;

our feet had not strayed from your path.

But you crushed^s us and made us a haunt for jackals;^t

you covered us over with deep darkness.^u

If we had forgotten^v the name of our God

or spread out our hands to a foreign god,^w

would not God have discovered it,

since he knows the secrets of the heart?^x

Yet for your sake we face death all day long;

we are considered as sheep^y to be slaughtered.^z

Awake,^a Lord! Why do you sleep?^b

Rouse yourself!^c Do not reject us forever.^d

Why do you hide your face^e

and forget^f our misery and oppression?^g

We are brought down to the dust;^h

our bodies cling to the ground.

Rise upⁱ and help us;

redeem^j us because of your unfailing love.^k