Psalm 44

¹We have heard with our ears, God;

our fathers have told us what work you did in their days,

in the days of old.

²You drove out the nations with your hand,

but you planted them.

You afflicted the peoples,

but you spread them abroad.

³For they didn’t get the land in possession by their own sword,

neither did their own arm save them;

but your right hand, your arm, and the light of your face,

because you were favourable to them.

⁴God, you are my King.

Command victories for Jacob!

⁵Through you, we will push down our adversaries.

Through your name, we will tread down those who rise up against us.

⁶For I will not trust in my bow,

neither will my sword save me.

⁷But you have saved us from our adversaries,

and have shamed those who hate us.

⁸In God we have made our boast all day long.

We will give thanks to your name forever.

⁹But now you rejected us, and brought us to dishonour,

and don’t go out with our armies.

¹⁰You make us turn back from the adversary.

Those who hate us take plunder for themselves.

¹¹You have made us like sheep for food,

and have scattered us amongst the nations.

¹²You sell your people for nothing,

and have gained nothing from their sale.

¹³You make us a reproach to our neighbours,

a scoffing and a derision to those who are around us.

¹⁴You make us a byword amongst the nations,

a shaking of the head amongst the peoples.

¹⁵All day long my dishonour is before me,

and shame covers my face,

¹⁶at the taunt of one who reproaches and verbally abuses,

because of the enemy and the avenger.

¹⁷All this has come on us,

yet we haven’t forgotten you.

We haven’t been false to your covenant.

¹⁸Our heart has not turned back,

neither have our steps strayed from your path,

¹⁹though you have crushed us in the haunt of jackals,

and covered us with the shadow of death.

²⁰If we have forgotten the name of our God,

or spread out our hands to a strange god,

²¹won’t God search this out?

For he knows the secrets of the heart.

²²Yes, for your sake we are killed all day long.

We are regarded as sheep for the slaughter.

²³Wake up!

Why do you sleep, Lord?

Arise!

Don’t reject us forever.

²⁴Why do you hide your face,

and forget our affliction and our oppression?

²⁵For our soul is bowed down to the dust.

Our body clings to the earth.

²⁶Rise up to help us.

Redeem us for your loving kindness’ sake.