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Psalm 44

For the Music Director. A Contemplative Maskil of the sons of Korah.

We have heard with our ears, O God,
    our fathers have told us
what work You did in their days,
    in the days of old:
how You drove out the nations with Your hand,
    and planted others instead;
how You afflicted peoples,
    and sent them away.
For they did not take possession of the land by their own sword,
    nor did their own arm save them;
but it was Your right hand, and Your arm,
    and the light of Your countenance, because You had favor on them.

You are my King, O God;
    command deliverances for Jacob.
Through You we will push down our opponents;
    through Your name we will trample those who rise up against us.
For I will not trust in my bow,
    nor will my sword save me.
But You have saved us from our opponents,
    and have put to shame those who hate us.
In God we boast all the day long,
    and give thanks to Your name forever. Selah

But You have rejected us and put us to shame,
    and do not go out with our armies.
10 You make us to turn back from the opponent,
    and those who hate us make us their spoil.
11 You have placed us like sheep for prey,
    and have scattered us among the nations.
12 You sell Your people for nothing,
    and do not increase Your wealth by their sale.

13 You make us a reproach to our neighbors,
    a scorn and a derision to those who surround us.
14 You make us a byword among the nations,
    a shaking of the head among the people.
15 All day long my reproach is before me,
    and the shame of my face covers me,
16 from the voice of him who reproaches and reviles,
    by reason of the enemy and avenger.

17 All this is come on us,
    yet we have not forgotten You,
    nor have we dealt falsely in Your covenant.
18 Our heart is not turned back,
    nor have our steps deviated from Your way,
19 though You have crushed us in the place of jackals,
    and covered us with the shadow of death.

20 If we have forgotten the name of our God,
    or stretched out our hands to a strange god,
21 would not God search this out?
    For He knows the secrets of the heart.
22 Yes, for Your sake we are killed all the day long;
    we are considered like sheep for the slaughter.

23 Awake; why do You sleep, O Lord?
    Arise; do not reject us forever.
24 Why do You hide Your face,
    and forget our affliction and our oppression?

25 For our soul is bowed down to the dust;
    our body cleaves to the earth.
26 Arise, be our help,
    and redeem us for the sake of Your lovingkindness.

Psalm 44[a]

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

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[c] 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.[d](W)

But now you have rejected(X) and humbled us;(Y)
    you no longer go out with our armies.(Z)
10 You made us retreat(AA) before the enemy,
    and our adversaries have plundered(AB) us.
11 You gave us up to be devoured like sheep(AC)
    and have scattered us among the nations.(AD)
12 You sold your people for a pittance,(AE)
    gaining nothing from their sale.

13 You have made us a reproach(AF) to our neighbors,(AG)
    the scorn(AH) and derision(AI) of those around us.
14 You have made us a byword(AJ) among the nations;
    the peoples shake their heads(AK) at us.
15 I live in disgrace(AL) all day long,
    and my face is covered with shame(AM)
16 at the taunts(AN) of those who reproach and revile(AO) me,
    because of the enemy, who is bent on revenge.(AP)

17 All this came upon us,
    though we had not forgotten(AQ) you;
    we had not been false to your covenant.
18 Our hearts had not turned(AR) back;
    our feet had not strayed from your path.
19 But you crushed(AS) us and made us a haunt for jackals;(AT)
    you covered us over with deep darkness.(AU)

20 If we had forgotten(AV) the name of our God
    or spread out our hands to a foreign god,(AW)
21 would not God have discovered it,
    since he knows the secrets of the heart?(AX)
22 Yet for your sake we face death all day long;
    we are considered as sheep(AY) to be slaughtered.(AZ)

23 Awake,(BA) Lord! Why do you sleep?(BB)
    Rouse yourself!(BC) Do not reject us forever.(BD)
24 Why do you hide your face(BE)
    and forget(BF) our misery and oppression?(BG)

25 We are brought down to the dust;(BH)
    our bodies cling to the ground.
26 Rise up(BI) and help us;
    rescue(BJ) us because of your unfailing love.(BK)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 44:1 In Hebrew texts 44:1-26 is numbered 44:2-27.
  2. Psalm 44:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
  3. Psalm 44:4 Septuagint, Aquila and Syriac; Hebrew King, O God; / command
  4. Psalm 44:8 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.