For the director of music. A maskil of the Sons of Korah.
1God, we have heard what you did. Those who came before us have told us what you did in their days, in days long ago.2By your power you drove out the nations. You gave our people homes in the land. You crushed the people who were there. And you made our people do well.3They didn’t win the land with their swords. They didn’t gain success by their own power. Your powerful right hand and your mighty arm gave them victory. You gave them success because you loved them.4You are my King and my God. You give victories to the people of Jacob.5With your help we push back our enemies. By your power we walk all over them.6I put no trust in my bow. My sword doesn’t bring me victory.7But you give us victory over our enemies. You put them to shame.8All day long we talk about how great God is. We will praise your name for ever.9But now you have turned your back on us and made us humble. You don’t march out with our armies anymore.10You made us turn and run from our enemies. They have taken what belongs to us.11You handed us over to be eaten up like sheep. You have scattered us among the nations.12You sold your people for very little. You didn’t gain anything when you sold them.13You have made us something that our neighbours laugh at. Those who live around us make fun of us and tease us.14The nations make jokes about us. They shake their heads at us.15All day long I have to live with my shame. My face is covered with it.16That’s because they laugh at me and attack me with their words. They want to get even with me.17All of this happened to us, even though we had not forgotten you. We had not broken the covenant you made with us.18Our hearts had not turned away from you. Our feet had not wandered from your path.19But you crushed us and left us to the wild dogs. You covered us over with deep darkness.20We didn’t forget our God. We didn’t spread out our hands in prayer to a false god.21If we had, God would have discovered it. He knows the secrets of our hearts.22But because of you, we face death all day long. We are considered as sheep to be killed.23Lord, wake up! Why are you sleeping? Get up! Don’t say no to us for ever.24Why do you turn your face away from us? Why do you forget our pain and troubles?25We are brought down to the dust. Our bodies lie flat on the ground.26Rise up and help us. Save us because of your faithful love.
Psalm 44
English Standard Version
Come to Our Help
1To the choirmaster. A Maskil[1] of the Sons of Korah. O God, we have heard with our ears, our fathers have told us, what deeds you performed in their days, in the days of old: (Ex 10:2; Ex 12:26; Ex 13:8; Ex 13:14; De 6:20; Jud 6:13; Ps 42:1; Ps 77:5; Ps 78:3)2you with your own hand drove out the nations, but them you planted; you afflicted the peoples, but them you set free; (Ex 15:17; Jos 3:10; 2Sa 7:10; Ps 78:55; Ps 80:8; Ps 80:9; Jer 17:8)3for not by their own sword did they win the land, nor did their own arm save them, but your right hand and your arm, and the light of your face, for you delighted in them. (De 4:37; De 7:7; De 10:15; Jos 24:12; Ps 4:6; Ho 1:7)4You are my King, O God; ordain salvation for Jacob! (Ps 42:8; Ps 74:12)5Through you we push down our foes; through your name we tread down those who rise up against us. (De 33:17; Ps 60:12; Da 8:4)6For not in my bow do I trust, nor can my sword save me. (1Sa 17:47; Ps 33:16)7But you have saved us from our foes and have put to shame those who hate us. (Ps 35:4)8In God we have boasted continually, and we will give thanks to your name forever. (Ps 34:2)9But you have rejected us and disgraced us and have not gone out with our armies. (Jud 4:14; 2Sa 5:24; Ps 43:2; Ps 44:23; Ps 60:1; Ps 60:10; Ps 74:1; Ps 89:38; Ps 108:11)10You have made us turn back from the foe, and those who hate us have gotten spoil. (Le 26:17; De 28:25; Jos 7:8; Jos 7:12)11You have made us like sheep for slaughter and have scattered us among the nations. (Le 26:33; De 4:27; De 28:64; Ps 44:22; Ps 106:27; Isa 52:3; Eze 20:23; Joh 7:35; 1Pe 1:1)12You have sold your people for a trifle, demanding no high price for them. (De 32:30; Jud 2:14; Jud 3:8; Jer 15:13)13You have made us the taunt of our neighbors, the derision and scorn of those around us. (Ne 2:17; Ps 39:8; Ps 79:4; Ps 80:6; Ps 89:41; Ps 119:22)14You have made us a byword among the nations, a laughingstock[2] among the peoples. (Job 16:4; Job 17:6; Jer 24:9)15All day long my disgrace is before me, and shame has covered my face (2Ch 32:21)16at the sound of the taunter and reviler, at the sight of the enemy and the avenger. (Ps 8:2)17All this has come upon us, though we have not forgotten you, and we have not been false to your covenant. (Da 9:13)18Our heart has not turned back, nor have our steps departed from your way; (Job 23:11; Ps 37:31; Ps 119:51; Ps 119:157)19yet you have broken us in the place of jackals and covered us with the shadow of death. (Job 3:5; Job 30:29; Ps 51:8)20If we had forgotten the name of our God or spread out our hands to a foreign god, (Job 11:13; Ps 68:31; Ps 81:9)21would not God discover this? For he knows the secrets of the heart. (Ps 139:1; Jer 17:10; Joh 2:25; Heb 4:13)22Yet for your sake we are killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered. (Ps 44:11; Ro 8:36)23Awake! Why are you sleeping, O Lord? Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever! (Ps 35:23; Ps 44:9)24Why do you hide your face? Why do you forget our affliction and oppression? (Job 13:24)25For our soul is bowed down to the dust; our belly clings to the ground. (Ps 119:25)26Rise up; come to our help! Redeem us for the sake of your steadfast love! (Ps 25:22; Ps 63:7)