Psalm 43-44

New International Version

Psalm 43^[a]

¹Vindicate me, my God,
    and plead my cause^(A)
    against an unfaithful nation.
Rescue me^(B) from those who are
    deceitful and wicked.^(C)
²You are God my stronghold.
    Why have you rejected^(D) me?
Why must I go about mourning,^(E)
    oppressed by the enemy?^(F)
³Send me your light^(G) and your faithful care,^(H)
    let them lead me;^(I)
let them bring me to your holy mountain,^(J)
    to the place where you dwell.^(K)
⁴Then I will go^(L) to the altar^(M) of God,
    to God, my joy^(N) and my delight.^(O)
I will praise you with the lyre,^(P)
    O God, my God.

⁵Why, my soul, are you downcast?
    Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
    for I will yet praise him,
    my Savior and my God.^(Q)

Psalm 44^[b]

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

¹We have heard it with our ears,^(R) O God;
    our ancestors have told us^(S)
what you did in their days,
    in days long ago.^(T)
²With your hand you drove out^(U) the nations
    and planted^(V) our ancestors;
you crushed^(W) the peoples
    and made our ancestors flourish.^(X)
³It was not by their sword^(Y) that they won the land,
    nor did their arm bring them victory;
it was your right hand,^(Z) your arm,^(AA)
    and the light^(AB) of your face, for you loved^(AC) them.

⁴You are my King^(AD) and my God,^(AE)
    who decrees^[d] victories^(AF) for Jacob.
⁵Through you we push back^(AG) our enemies;
    through your name we trample^(AH) our foes.
⁶I put no trust in my bow,^(AI)
    my sword does not bring me victory;
⁷but you give us victory^(AJ) over our enemies,
    you put our adversaries to shame.^(AK)
⁸In God we make our boast^(AL) all day long,^(AM)
    and we will praise your name forever.^[e]^(AN)

⁹But now you have rejected^(AO) and humbled us;^(AP)
    you no longer go out with our armies.^(AQ)
¹⁰You made us retreat^(AR) before the enemy,
    and our adversaries have plundered^(AS) us.
¹¹You gave us up to be devoured like sheep^(AT)
    and have scattered us among the nations.^(AU)
¹²You sold your people for a pittance,^(AV)
    gaining nothing from their sale.

¹³You have made us a reproach^(AW) to our neighbors,^(AX)
    the scorn^(AY) and derision^(AZ) of those around us.
¹⁴You have made us a byword^(BA) among the nations;
    the peoples shake their heads^(BB) at us.
¹⁵I live in disgrace^(BC) all day long,
    and my face is covered with shame^(BD)
¹⁶at the taunts^(BE) of those who reproach and revile^(BF) me,
    because of the enemy, who is bent on revenge.^(BG)

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

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

²³Awake,^(BR) Lord! Why do you sleep?^(BS)
Rouse yourself!^(BT) Do not reject us forever.^(BU)
²⁴Why do you hide your face^(BV)
and forget^(BW) our misery and oppression?^(BX)

²⁵We are brought down to the dust;^(BY)
our bodies cling to the ground.
²⁶Rise up^(BZ) and help us;
rescue^(CA) us because of your unfailing love.^(CB)