44:1 *[For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A maskil.**] We have heard it with our ears, O God; our ancestors have told us what you did in their days, in days long ago. / *In Hebrew texts 44:1-26 is numbered 44:2-27. / **Title: Probably a literary or musical term
44:2 With your hand you drove out the nations and planted our ancestors; you crushed the peoples and made our ancestors flourish.
44:3 It was not by their sword that they won the land, nor did their arm bring them victory; it was your right hand, your arm, and the light of your face, for you loved them.
44:4 You are my King and my God, who decrees* victories for Jacob. / *Septuagint, Aquila and Syriac; Hebrew King, O God; command
44:5 Through you we push back our enemies; through your name we trample our foes.
44:6 I put no trust in my bow, my sword does not bring me victory;
44:7 but you give us victory over our enemies, you put our adversaries to shame.
44:8 In God we make our boast all day long, and we will praise your name forever.* / *The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
44:9 But now you have rejected and humbled us; you no longer go out with our armies.
44:10 You made us retreat before the enemy, and our adversaries have plundered us.
44:11 You gave us up to be devoured like sheep and have scattered us among the nations.
44:12 You sold your people for a pittance, gaining nothing from their sale.
44:13 You have made us a reproach to our neighbors, the scorn and derision of those around us.
44:14 You have made us a byword among the nations; the peoples shake their heads at us.
44:15 I live in disgrace all day long, and my face is covered with shame
44:16 at the taunts of those who reproach and revile me, because of the enemy, who is bent on revenge.
44:17 All this came upon us, though we had not forgotten you; we had not been false to your covenant.
44:18 Our hearts had not turned back; our feet had not strayed from your path.
44:19 But you crushed us and made us a haunt for jackals; you covered us over with deep darkness.
44:20 If we had forgotten the name of our God or spread out our hands to a foreign god,
44:21 would not God have discovered it, since he knows the secrets of the heart?
44:22 Yet for your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.
44:23 Awake, Lord! Why do you sleep? Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever.
44:24 Why do you hide your face and forget our misery and oppression?
44:25 We are brought down to the dust; our bodies cling to the ground.
44:26 Rise up and help us; rescue us because of your unfailing love.