Psalms 44

¹It has come to our ears, O God, our fathers have given us the story, of the works which you did in their days, in the old times,

²Uprooting the nations with your hand, and planting our fathers in their place; cutting down the nations, but increasing the growth of your people.

³For they did not make the land theirs by their swords, and it was not their arms which kept them safe; but your right hand, and your arm, and the light of your face, because you had pleasure in them.

⁴You are my King and my God; ordering salvation for Jacob.

⁵Through you will we overcome our haters; by your name will they be crushed under our feet who are violent against us.

⁶I will not put faith in my bow, my sword will not be my salvation.

⁷But it is you who have been our saviour from those who were against us, and have put to shame those who had hate for us.

⁸Our pride is in God at all times, to his name we give praise for ever. (Selah.)

⁹But now you have sent us away from you, and put us to shame; you do not go out with our armies.

¹⁰Because of this we are turned back by the attacker: those who have hate for us take our goods for themselves.

¹¹You have made us like sheep which are taken for meat; we are put to flight among the nations.

¹²You let your people go for nothing; your wealth is not increased by their price.

¹³You have made us to be looked down on by our neighbours, we are laughed at and shamed by those who are round about us.

¹⁴Our name is a word of shame among the nations, a sign for the shaking of heads among the peoples.

¹⁵My downfall is ever before me, and I am covered with the shame of my face;

¹⁶Because of the voice of him who says sharp and bitter words; because of the hater and him who is the instrument of punishment.

¹⁷All this has come on us, but still we have kept you in our memory; and we have not been false to your word.

¹⁸Our hearts have not gone back, and our steps have not been turned out of your way;

¹⁹Though you have let us be crushed in the place of jackals, though we are covered with darkest shade.

²⁰If the name of our God has gone out of our minds, or if our hands have been stretched out to a strange god,

²¹Will not God make search for it? for he sees the secrets of the heart.

²²Truly, because of you we are put to death every day; we are numbered like sheep for destruction.

²³Why are you sleeping, O Lord? awake! and come to our help, do not give us up for ever.

²⁴Why is your face covered, and why do you give no thought to our trouble and our cruel fate?

²⁵For our souls are crushed down to the dust: our bodies are stretched out on the earth.

²⁶Up! and come to our help, and give us salvation because of your mercy.

Psalms 44

¹We have heard with our ears, God; our fathers have told us, what work you did in their days, in the days of old.

²You drove out the nations with your hand, but you planted them. You afflicted the peoples, but you spread them abroad.

³For they did not get the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them; but your right hand, and your arm, and the light of your face, because you were favorable to them.

⁴You are my King, God. Command victories for Jacob!

⁵Through you, will we push down our adversaries. Through your name, will we tread them under who rise up against us.

⁶For I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me.

⁷But you have saved us from our adversaries, and have shamed those who hate us.

⁸In God we have made our boast all day long, we will give thanks to your name forever. Selah.

⁹But now you rejected us, and brought us to dishonor, and do not go out with our armies.

¹⁰You make us turn back from the adversary. Those who hate us take spoil for themselves.

¹¹You have made us like sheep for food, and have scattered us among the nations.

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

¹³You make us a reproach to our neighbors, a scoffing and a derision to those who are around us.

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

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

¹⁶At the taunt of one who reproaches and verbally abuses, because of the enemy and the avenger.

¹⁷All this has come on us, yet have we not forgotten you, Neither have we been false to your covenant.

¹⁸Our heart has not turned back, neither have our steps strayed from your path,

¹⁹Though you have crushed us in the haunt of jackals, and covered us with the shadow of death.

²⁰If we have forgotten the name of our God, or spread forth our hands to a strange god;

²¹won't God search this out? For he knows the secrets of the heart.

²²Yes, for your sake we are killed all day long. We are regarded as sheep for the slaughter.

²³Wake up! Why do you sleep, Lord? Arise! Do not reject us forever.

²⁴Why do you hide your face, and forget our affliction and our oppression?

²⁵For our soul is bowed down to the dust. Our body cleaves to the earth.

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