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

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

For 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

19 Though thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons, 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 Shall not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart.

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

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

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

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

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

Psalm 44

Israel’s Complaint

For the choir director. A Maskil of the sons of Korah.

God, we have heard with our ears—
our ancestors have told us—
the work You accomplished in their days,
in days long ago:(A)
to plant them,
You drove out the nations with Your hand;
to settle them,
You crushed the peoples.(B)
For they did not take the land by their sword—
their arm did not bring them victory—
but by Your right hand, Your arm,
and the light of Your face,
for You were pleased with them.(C)

You are my King, my God,
who ordains[a] victories for Jacob.(D)
Through You we drive back our foes;
through Your name we trample our enemies.(E)
For I do not trust in my bow,
and my sword does not bring me victory.(F)
But You give us victory over our foes
and let those who hate us be disgraced.(G)
We boast in God all day long;
we will praise Your name forever.(H)Selah

But You have rejected and humiliated us;
You do not march out with our armies.(I)
10 You make us retreat from the foe,
and those who hate us
have taken plunder for themselves.(J)
11 You hand us over to be eaten like sheep
and scatter us among the nations.(K)
12 You sell Your people for nothing;
You make no profit from selling them.(L)
13 You make us an object of reproach to our neighbors,
a source of mockery and ridicule to those around us.(M)
14 You make us a joke among the nations,
a laughingstock[b] among the peoples.(N)
15 My disgrace is before me all day long,
and shame has covered my face,(O)
16 because of the voice of the scorner and reviler,
because of the enemy and avenger.(P)

17 All this has happened to us,
but we have not forgotten You
or betrayed Your covenant.(Q)
18 Our hearts have not turned back;
our steps have not strayed from Your path.(R)
19 But You have crushed us in a haunt of jackals
and have covered us with deepest darkness.(S)
20 If we had forgotten the name of our God
and spread out our hands to a foreign god,(T)
21 wouldn’t God have found this out,
since He knows the secrets of the heart?(U)
22 Because of You we are slain all day long;
we are counted as sheep to be slaughtered.(V)

23 Wake up, Lord! Why are You sleeping?
Get up! Don’t reject us forever!(W)
24 Why do You hide Yourself
and forget our affliction and oppression?(X)
25 For we have sunk down to the dust;
our bodies cling to the ground.(Y)
26 Rise up! Help us!
Redeem us because of Your faithful love.(Z)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 44:4 LXX, Syr, Aq; MT reads King, God; ordain
  2. Psalm 44:14 Lit shaking of the head

Former deliverances and present troubles.

For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. Maschil.

44 We have heard with our ears, O God,
Our fathers have told us,
What work thou didst in their days,
In the days of old.
Thou didst drive out the nations with thy hand;
But them thou didst plant:
Thou didst afflict the peoples;
But them thou didst spread abroad.
For they gat 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 wast favorable unto them.
Thou art my King, O God:
Command [a]deliverance for Jacob.
Through thee will we push down our adversaries:
Through thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us.
For I will not trust in my bow,
Neither shall my sword save me.
But thou hast saved us from our adversaries,
And hast put them to shame that hate us.
In God have we made our boast all the day long,
And we will give thanks unto thy name for ever. Selah

But now thou hast cast us off, and brought us to dishonor,
And goest not forth with our hosts.
10 Thou makest us to turn back from the adversary;
And they that hate us take spoil for themselves.
11 Thou hast made us like sheep appointed for food,
And hast scattered us among the nations.
12 Thou sellest thy people for nought,
And hast not increased thy wealth by their price.
13 Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbors,
A scoffing and a derision to them that are round about us.
14 Thou makest us a byword among the nations,
A shaking of the head among the peoples.
15 All the day long is my dishonor before me,
And the shame of my face hath covered me,
16 For the voice of him that reproacheth and blasphemeth,
By reason of the enemy and the avenger.
17 All this is come upon us; yet have we not forgotten thee,
Neither have we dealt falsely in thy covenant.
18 Our heart is not turned back,
Neither have our steps declined from thy way,
19 [b]That thou hast sore broken 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 spread forth our hands to a strange god;
21 Will not God search this out?
For he knoweth the secrets of the heart.
22 Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long;
We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
23 Awake, why sleepest thou, O Lord?
Arise, cast us not off for ever.
24 Wherefore hidest thou thy face,
And forgettest our affliction and our oppression?
25 For our soul is bowed down to the dust:
Our body cleaveth unto the earth.
26 Rise up for our help,
And redeem us for thy lovingkindness’ sake.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 44:4 Or, victories
  2. Psalm 44:19 Or, Though

44 To the Overseer. -- By sons of Korah. An Instruction. O God, with our ears we have heard, Our fathers have recounted to us, The work Thou didst work in their days, In the days of old.

Thou, [with] Thy hand, nations hast dispossessed. And Thou dost plant them. Thou afflictest peoples, and sendest them away.

For, not by their sword Possessed they the land, And their arm gave not salvation to them, But Thy right hand, and Thine arm, And the light of Thy countenance, Because Thou hadst accepted them.

Thou [art] He, my king, O God, Command the deliverances of Jacob.

By Thee our adversaries we do push, By Thy name tread down our withstanders,

For, not in my bow do I trust, And my sword doth not save me.

For Thou hast saved us from our adversaries, And those hating us Thou hast put to shame.

In God we have boasted all the day, And Thy name to the age we thank. Selah.

In anger Thou hast cast off and causest us to blush, And goest not forth with our hosts.

10 Thou causest us to turn backward from an adversary, And those hating us, Have spoiled for themselves.

11 Thou makest us food like sheep, And among nations Thou hast scattered us.

12 Thou sellest Thy people -- without wealth, And hast not become great by their price.

13 Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbours, A scorn and a reproach to our surrounders.

14 Thou makest us a simile among nations, A shaking of the head among peoples.

15 All the day my confusion [is] before me, And the shame of my face hath covered me.

16 Because of the voice of a reproacher and reviler, Because of an enemy and a self-avenger.

17 All this met us, and we did not forget Thee, Nor have we dealt falsely in Thy covenant.

18 We turn not backward our heart, Nor turn aside doth our step from Thy path.

19 But Thou hast smitten us in a place of dragons, And dost cover us over with death-shade.

20 If we have forgotten the name of our God, And spread our hands to a strange God,

21 Doth not God search out this? For He knoweth the secrets of the heart.

22 Surely, for Thy sake we have been slain all the day, Reckoned as sheep of the slaughter.

23 Stir up -- why dost Thou sleep, O Lord? Awake, cast us not off for ever.

24 Why Thy face hidest Thou? Thou forgettest our afflictions and our oppression,

25 For bowed to the dust hath our soul, Cleaved to the earth hath our belly.

26 Arise, a help to us, And ransom us for thy kindness' sake.

National Lament and Prayer for Help

To the choirmaster. A Maskil of the Sons of Korah.

44 We have heard with our ears, O God,
    our fathers have told us,
what deeds thou didst perform in their days,
    in the days of old:
thou with thy own hand didst drive out the nations,
    but them thou didst plant;
thou didst afflict the peoples,
    but them thou didst set free;
for not by their own sword did they win the land,
    nor did their own arm give them victory;
but thy right hand, and thy arm,
    and the light of thy countenance;
    for thou didst delight in them.

Thou art my King and my God,
    who ordainest[a] victories for Jacob.
Through thee we push down our foes;
    through thy name we tread down our assailants.
For not in my bow do I trust,
    nor can my sword save me.
But thou hast saved us from our foes,
    and hast put to confusion those who hate us.
In God we have boasted continually,
    and we will give thanks to thy name for ever.Selah

Yet thou hast cast us off and abased us,
    and hast not gone out with our armies.
10 Thou hast made us turn back from the foe;
    and our enemies have gotten spoil.
11 Thou hast made us like sheep for slaughter,
    and hast scattered us among the nations.
12 Thou hast sold thy people for a trifle,
    demanding no high price for them.

13 Thou hast made us the taunt of our neighbors,
    the derision and scorn of those about us.
14 Thou hast made us a byword among the nations,
    a laughingstock[b] among the peoples.
15 All day long my disgrace is before me,
    and shame has covered my face,
16 at the words of the taunters and revilers,
    at the sight of the enemy and the avenger.

17 All this has come upon us,
    though we have not forgotten thee,
    or been false to thy covenant.
18 Our heart has not turned back,
    nor have our steps departed from thy way,
19 that thou shouldst have broken us in the place of jackals,
    and covered us with deep darkness.

20 If we had forgotten the name of our God,
    or spread forth our hands to a strange god,
21 would not God discover this?
    For he knows the secrets of the heart.
22 Nay, for thy sake we are slain all the day long,
    and accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

23 Rouse thyself! Why sleepest thou, O Lord?
    Awake! Do not cast us off for ever!
24 Why dost thou hide thy face?
    Why dost thou forget our affliction and oppression?
25 For our soul is bowed down to the dust;
    our body cleaves to the ground.
26 Rise up, come to our help!
    Deliver us for the sake of thy steadfast love!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 44:4 Gk Syr: Heb Thou art my King, O God; ordain
  2. Psalm 44:14 Heb a shaking of the head