Psalms 44
Psalm 441
For the music director; by the Korahites, a well-written song.2
44:1 O God, we have clearly heard;3
our ancestors4 have told us
what you did5 in their days,
in ancient times.6
44:2 You, by your power,7 defeated nations and settled our fathers on their land;8
you crushed9 the people living there10 and enabled our ancestors to occupy it.11
44:3 For they did not conquer12 the land by their swords,
and they did not prevail by their strength,13
but rather by your power,14 strength15 and good favor,16
for you were partial to17 them.
44:4 You are my18 king, O God!
Decree19 Jacob’s20 deliverance!
44:5 By your power21 we will drive back22 our enemies;
by your strength23 we will trample down24 our foes!25
44:6 For I do not trust in my bow,
and I do not prevail by my sword.
44:7 For you deliver26 us from our enemies;
you humiliate27 those who hate us.
44:8 In God I boast all day long,
and we will continually give thanks to your name. (Selah)
44:9 But28 you rejected and embarrassed us!
You did not go into battle with our armies.29
44:10 You made us retreat30 from the enemy.
Those who hate us take whatever they want from us.31
44:11 You handed us32 over like sheep to be eaten;
you scattered us among the nations.
44:12 You sold33 your people for a pittance;34
you did not ask a high price for them.35
44:13 You made us36 an object of disdain to our neighbors;
those who live on our borders taunt and insult us.37
44:14 You made us38 an object of ridicule39 among the nations;
foreigners treat us with contempt.40
44:15 All day long I feel humiliated41
and am overwhelmed with shame,42
44:16 before the vindictive enemy
who ridicules and insults me.43
44:17 All this has happened to us, even though we have not rejected you44
or violated your covenant with us.45
44:18 We have not been unfaithful,46
nor have we disobeyed your commands.47
44:19 Yet you have battered us, leaving us a heap of ruins overrun by wild dogs;48
you have covered us with darkness.49
44:20 If we had rejected our God,50
and spread out our hands in prayer to another god,51
44:21 would not God discover it,
for he knows52 one’s thoughts?53
44:22 Yet because of you54 we are killed all day long;
we are treated like55 sheep at the slaughtering block.56
44:23 Rouse yourself! Why do you sleep, O Lord?
Wake up!57 Do not reject us forever!
44:24 Why do you look the other way,58
and ignore59 the way we are oppressed and mistreated?60
with our bellies pressed to the ground.61
Rescue us62 because of your loyal love!