Psalms 44

¹ Unto the end, for the sons of Core, to give understanding.

² We have heard, O God, with our ears : our fathers have declared to us, The work, thou hast wrought in their days, and in the days of old.

³ Thy hand destroyed the Gentiles, and thou plantedst them : thou didst afflict the people and cast them out.

⁴ For they got not the possession of the land by their own sword : neither did their own arm save them. But thy right hand and thy arm, and the light of thy countenance : because thou wast pleased with them.

⁵ Thou art thyself my king and my God, who commandest the saving of Jacob.

⁶ Through thee we will push down our enemies with the horn : and through thy name we will despise them that rise up against us.

⁷ For I will not trust in my bow : neither shall my sword save me.

⁸ But thou hast saved us from them that afflict us : and hast put them to shame that hate us.

⁹ In God shall we glory all the day long : and in thy name we will give praise for ever.

¹⁰ But now thou hast cast us off, and put us to shame : and thou, O God, wilt not go out with our armies.

¹¹ Thou hast made us turn our back to our enemies : and they that hated us plundered for themselves.

¹² Thou hast given us up like sheep to be eaten : thou hast scattered us among the nations.

¹³ Thou hast sold thy people for no price : and there was no reckoning in the exchange of them.

¹⁴ Thou hast made us a reproach to our neighbours, a scoff and derision to them that are round about us.

¹⁵ Thou hast made us a byword among the Gentiles : a shaking of the head among the people.

¹⁶ All the day long my shame is before me : and the confusion of my face hath covered me,

¹⁷ At the voice of him that reproacheth and detracteth me : at the face of the enemy and persecutor.

¹⁸ All these things have come upon us, yet we have not forgotten thee : and we have not done wickedly in they covenant.

¹⁹ And our heart hath not turned back : neither hast thou turned aside our steps from thy way.

²⁰ For thou hast humbled us in the place of affliction : and the shadow of death hath covered us.

²¹ If we have forgotten the name of our God, and if we have spread forth our hands to a strange god :

²² Shall not God search out these things : for he knoweth the secrets of the heart. Because for thy sake we are killed all the day long : we are counted as sheep for the slaughter.

²³ Arise, why sleepest thou, O Lord? arise, and cast us not off to the end.

²⁴ Why turnest thou face away? and forgettest our want and our trouble?

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

²⁶ Arise, O Lord, help us and redeem us for thy name's sake.