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.

Redemption Remembered in Present Dishonor

To the Chief Musician. A (A)Contemplation[a] of the sons of Korah.

44 We have heard with our ears, O God,
(B)Our fathers have told us,
The deeds You did in their days,
In days of old:
(C)You drove out the [b]nations with Your hand,
But them You planted;
You afflicted the peoples, and cast them out.
For (D)they did not gain possession of the land by their own sword,
Nor did their own arm save them;
But it was Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your countenance,
(E)Because You favored them.

(F)You are my King, [c]O God;
[d]Command victories for Jacob.
Through You (G)we will push down our enemies;
Through Your name we will trample those who rise up against us.
For (H)I will not trust in my bow,
Nor shall my sword save me.
But You have saved us from our enemies,
And have put to shame those who hated us.
(I)In God we boast all day long,
And praise Your name forever. Selah

But (J)You have cast us off and put us to shame,
And You do not go out with our armies.
10 You make us (K)turn back from the enemy,
And those who hate us have taken [e]spoil for themselves.
11 (L)You have given us up like sheep intended for food,
And have (M)scattered us among the nations.
12 (N)You sell Your people for next to nothing,
And are not enriched by selling them.

13 (O)You make us a reproach to our neighbors,
A scorn and a derision to those all around us.
14 (P)You make us a byword among the nations,
(Q)A shaking of the head among the peoples.
15 My dishonor is continually before me,
And the shame of my face has covered me,
16 Because of the voice of him who reproaches and reviles,
(R)Because of the enemy and the avenger.

17 (S)All this has come upon us;
But we have not forgotten You,
Nor have we dealt falsely with Your covenant.
18 Our heart has not turned back,
(T)Nor have our steps departed from Your way;
19 But You have severely broken us in (U)the place of jackals,
And covered us (V)with the shadow of death.

20 If we had forgotten the name of our God,
Or (W)stretched[f] out our hands to a foreign god,
21 (X)Would not God search this out?
For He knows the secrets of the heart.
22 (Y)Yet for Your sake we are killed all day long;
We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

23 (Z)Awake! Why do You sleep, O Lord?
Arise! Do not cast us off forever.
24 (AA)Why do You hide Your face,
And forget our affliction and our oppression?
25 For (AB)our soul is bowed down to the [g]dust;
Our body clings to the ground.
26 Arise for our help,
And redeem us for Your mercies’ sake.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 44:1 Heb. Maschil
  2. Psalm 44:2 Gentiles, heathen
  3. Psalm 44:4 So with MT, Tg.; LXX, Vg. and my God
  4. Psalm 44:4 So with MT, Tg.; LXX, Syr., Vg. Who commands
  5. Psalm 44:10 plunder
  6. Psalm 44:20 Worshiped
  7. Psalm 44:25 Ground, in humiliation

¡Despierta, Dios mío!

Al director. Un poema de los descendientes de Coré.

Dios mío, hemos escuchado hablar de ti,
    nuestros padres nos han contado
las maravillas que hiciste en su época,
    en aquellos tiempos pasados.
Nos contaron cómo con tu poder arrancaste naciones,
    y plantaste a nuestros padres.
Trituraste naciones,
    y los expulsaste de la tierra.
No fue gracias a sus espadas
    ni a su fuerza como obtuvieron la victoria,
sino gracias a tu poder y a tu fortaleza,
    y a la luz de tu presencia
    porque tú eras feliz con ellos.

Dios mío, tú eres mi rey.
    Ordena que el pueblo de Jacob salga victorioso.
Con tu ayuda, nos quitaremos de encima al enemigo;
    sólo en tu nombre los podremos pisotear.
No confío en mi espada ni en mi arco,
    pues no me pueden dar la victoria.
Eres tú quien nos da la victoria
    y pone en ridículo a nuestros enemigos.
Todo el día hemos alabado a Dios.
    Siempre adoraremos su nombre. Selah

Pero tú nos has rechazado, nos has humillado
    y ya no fuiste con nosotros a la batalla.
10 Nos hiciste huir de nuestros enemigos,
    los que nos odian se apoderan de lo nuestro.
11 Nos entregaste como ovejas para que nos devoraran.
    Nos dispersaste por todo el mundo.
12 Vendiste a tu pueblo muy barato
    sin luchar por un buen precio.

13 Nos has convertido en objeto de los insultos de nuestros vecinos;
    los que nos rodean se burlan de nosotros y nos ridiculizan.
14 Nuestra desgracia ya sirve de refrán a las naciones.
    Cuando nos ven, se burlan de nosotros meneando la cabeza.
15 A todo instante me siento humillado,
    mi cara está cubierta de vergüenza
16 al oír las palabras de quienes me ultrajan e insultan.
    Es el enemigo que busca venganza.

17 Todo esto nos ha sucedido a pesar de que nunca te olvidamos
    ni rompimos tu pacto.
18 Nunca te traicionamos;
    nunca nos alejamos de ti.
19 Sin embargo, nos aplastaste en una cueva de chacales
    y nos has cubierto de densa oscuridad.

20 Si nos hubiéramos olvidado de nuestro Dios
    y recurrido a otros dioses,
21 tú te habrías dado cuenta,
    ya que conoces nuestros más íntimos secretos.
22 Pero por seguirte siempre nos han masacrado,
    nos han tratado como a las ovejas en un matadero.

23 ¡Despierta, Dios mío!
    ¿Por qué duermes?
¡Levántate, Señor!
    No nos abandones para siempre.
24 ¿Por qué te escondes de nosotros?
    No ignores nuestro dolor y sufrimiento.
25 Nos han humillado hasta el polvo;
    y nos arrastramos por el suelo.
26 ¡Levántate y ven pronto a ayudarnos!
    ¡Muéstranos tu fiel amor! ¡Sálvanos!