Chapter 44

{To the chief Musician. Of the sons of Korah. An instruction.} O God, with our ears have we heard, our fathers have told us, the work thou wroughtest in their days, in the days of old:

Thou, by thy hand, didst dispossess the nations, but them thou didst plant; thou didst afflict the peoples, but them didst thou cause to spread out.

For not by their own sword did they take possession of the land, neither did their own arm save them; but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst delight in them.

Thou thyself art my king, O God: command 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 put confidence in my bow, neither shall my sword save me.

For thou hast saved us from our adversaries, and hast put them to shame that hate us.

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

But thou hast cast off, and put us to confusion, and dost not go forth with our armies;

Thou hast made us to turn back from the adversary, and they that hate us spoil for themselves;

Thou hast given us over like sheep [appointed] for meat, and hast scattered us among the nations;

Thou hast sold thy people for nought, and hast not increased [thy wealth] by their price;

Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbours, a mockery and a derision for them that are round about us;

Thou makest us a byword among the nations, a shaking of the head among the peoples.

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

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

All this is come upon us; yet have we not forgotten thee, neither have we dealt falsely against thy covenant:

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

Though thou hast crushed us in the place of jackals, and covered us with the shadow of death.

If we had forgotten the name of our God, and stretched out our hands to a strange ùgod,

Would not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart.

But for thy sake are we killed all the day long; we are reckoned as sheep for slaughter.

Awake, why sleepest thou, Lord? arise, cast [us] not off for ever.

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

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

Rise up for our help, and redeem us for thy loving-kindness' sake.