^1. Psalm 44 For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A [1]

^1. We have heard with our ears, O God; our fathers have told us what you did in their days, in days long ago.

^2. With your hand you drove out the nations and planted our fathers; you crushed the peoples and made our fathers flourish.

^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.

^4. You are my King and my God, who decrees [2] victories for Jacob.

^5. Through you we push back our enemies; through your name we trample our foes.

^6. I do not trust in my bow, my sword does not bring me victory;

^7. but you give us victory over our enemies, you put our adversaries to shame.

^8. In God we make our boast all day long, and we will praise your name forever.

^9. But now you have rejected and humbled us; you no longer go out with our armies.

^10. You made us retreat before the enemy, and our adversaries have plundered us.

^11. You gave us up to be devoured like sheep and have scattered us among the nations.

^12. You sold your people for a pittance, gaining nothing from their sale.

^13. You have made us a reproach to our neighbors, the scorn and derision of those around us.

^14. You have made us a byword among the nations; the peoples shake their heads at us.

^15. My disgrace is before me all day long, and my face is covered with shame

^16. at the taunts of those who reproach and revile me, because of the enemy, who is bent on revenge.

^17. All this happened to us, though we had not forgotten you or been false to your covenant.

^18. Our hearts had not turned back; our feet had not strayed from your path.

^19. But you crushed us and made us a haunt for jackals and covered us over with deep darkness.

^20. If we had forgotten the name of our God or spread out our hands to a foreign god,

^21. would not God have discovered it, since he knows the secrets of the heart?

^22. Yet for your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.

^23. Awake, O Lord! Why do you sleep? Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever.

^24. Why do you hide your face and forget our misery and oppression?

^25. We are brought down to the dust; our bodies cling to the ground.

^26. Rise up and help us; redeem us because of your unfailing love.