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 decrees1 44:4 Septuagint, Aquila and Syriac; Hebrew King, O God; / command 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.
Selah |
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. |
