Psalms 44

¹To him that excelleth. A Psalme to give instruction, committed to the sonnes of Korah. We haue heard with our eares, O God: our fathers haue tolde vs the workes, that thou hast done in their dayes, in the olde time:

²Howe thou hast driuen out the heathen with thine hand, and planted them: how thou hast destroyed the people, and caused them to grow.

³For they inherited not the lande by their owne sworde, neither did their owne arme saue them: but thy right hand, and thine arme and the light of thy countenance, because thou didest fauour them.

⁴Thou art my King, O God: send helpe vnto Iaakob.

⁵Through thee haue we thrust backe our aduersaries: by thy Name haue we troden downe them that rose vp against vs.

⁶For I do not trust in my bowe, neither can my sworde saue me.

⁷But thou hast saued vs from our aduersaries, and hast put them to confusion that hate vs.

⁸Therefore will wee praise God continually, and will confesse thy Name for euer. Selah.

⁹But now thou art farre off, and puttest vs to confusion, and goest not forth with our armies.

¹⁰Thou makest vs to turne backe from the aduersary, and they, which hate vs, spoile for theselues.

¹¹Thou giuest vs as sheepe to bee eaten, and doest scatter vs among the nations.

¹²Thou sellest thy people without gaine, and doest not increase their price.

¹³Thou makest vs a reproche to our neighbours, a iest and a laughing stocke to them that are round about vs.

¹⁴Thou makest vs a prouerbe among the nations, and a nodding of the head among the people.

¹⁵My confusion is dayly before me, and the shame of my face hath couered me,

¹⁶For the voyce of the slaunderer and rebuker, for the enemie and auenger.

¹⁷All this is come vpon vs, yet doe wee not forget thee, neither deale wee falsly concerning thy couenant.

¹⁸Our heart is not turned backe: neither our steps gone out of thy paths,

¹⁹Albeit thou hast smitten vs downe into the place of dragons, and couered vs with the shadow of death.

²⁰If wee haue forgotten the Name of our God, and holden vp our hands to a strange god,

²¹Shall not God searche this out? for hee knoweth the secrets of the heart.

²²Surely for thy sake are we slaine continually, and are counted as sheepe for the slaughter.

²³Vp, why sleepest thou, O Lord? awake, be not farre off for euer.

²⁴Wherefore hidest thou thy face? and forgettest our miserie and our affliction?

²⁵For our soule is beaten downe vnto the dust: our belly cleaueth vnto the ground.

²⁶Rise vp for our succour, and redeeme vs for thy mercies sake.

Psalms 44

¹We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us, what work thou didst in their days, in the times of old.

²How thou didst drive out the heathen with thy hand, and plantedst them; how thou didst afflict the people, and cast them out.

³For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favour unto them.

⁴Thou art my King, O God: command deliverances for Jacob.

⁵Through thee will we push down our enemies: through thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us.

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

⁷But thou hast saved us from our enemies, and hast put them to shame that hated us.

⁸In God we boast all the day long, and praise thy name for ever. Selah.

⁹But thou hast cast off, and put us to shame; and goest not forth with our armies.

¹⁰Thou makest us to turn back from the enemy: and they which hate us spoil for themselves.

¹¹Thou hast given us like sheep appointed for meat; and hast scattered us among the heathen.

¹²Thou sellest thy people for nought, and dost not increase thy wealth by their price.

¹³Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and a derision to them that are round about us.

¹⁴Thou makest us a byword among the heathen, a shaking of the head among the people.

¹⁵My confusion is continually before me, and the shame of my face hath covered me,

¹⁶For the voice of him that reproacheth and blasphemeth; by reason of the enemy and avenger.

¹⁷All this is come upon us; yet have we not forgotten thee, neither have we dealt falsely in thy covenant.

¹⁸Our heart is not turned back, neither have our steps declined from thy way;

¹⁹Though thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons, and covered us with the shadow of death.

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

²¹Shall not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart.

²²Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter.

²³Awake, why sleepest thou, O Lord? arise, cast us not off for ever.

²⁴Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and forgettest our affliction and our oppression?

²⁵For our soul is bowed down to the dust: our belly cleaveth unto the earth.

²⁶Arise for our help, and redeem us for thy mercies’ sake.