Psalm 44

For the chief musician. A psalm of the sons of Korah. A maschil.

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 our people;

you afflicted the peoples,

but you spread our people out in the land.

3For they did not obtain the land for their possession by their own sword,

neither did their own arm save them;

but your right hand, your arm, and the light of your face,

because you were favorable to them.

4God, You are my King;

command victory for Jacob.

5Through you we will push down our adversaries;

through your name we will tread them under, those who rise up against us.

6For I will not trust in my bow,

neither will my sword save me.

7But you have saved us from our adversaries,

and have put to shame those who hate us.

8In God we have made our boast all the day long,

and we will give thanks to your name forever. Selah

9But now you have thrown us off and brought us dishonor,

and you do not go out with our armies.

10You make us turn back from the adversary;

and those who hate us take spoil for themselves.

11You have made us like sheep to be slaughtered

and have scattered us among the nations.

12You sell your people for nothing;

you have not increased your wealth by doing so.

13You make us a rebuke to our neighbors,

scoffed and mocked by those around us.

14You make us an insult among the nations,

a shaking of the head among the peoples.

15All the day long my dishonor is before me,

and the shame of my face has covered me

16because of the voice of him who rebukes and insults,

because of the enemy and the avenger.

17All this has come on us; yet we have not forgotten you

or dealt falsely with your covenant.

18Our heart has not turned back;

our steps have not gone from your way.

19Yet you have severely broken us in the place of jackals

and covered us with the shadow of death.

20If we have forgotten the name of our God

or spread out our hands to a strange god,

21would not God search this out?

For he knows the secrets of the heart.

22Indeed, for your sake we are being killed all day long;

we are considered to be sheep for the slaughter.

23Awake, why do you sleep, Lord?

Arise, do not throw us off permanently.

24Why do you hide your face

and forget our affliction and our oppression?

25For we have melted away into the dust;

our bodies cling to the earth.

26Rise up for our help

and redeem us for the sake of your covenant faithfulness.