Chapter 44

   For the Chief Musician. [A Psalm] of the sons of Korah. Maschil. We have heard with our ears, O God, Our fathers have told us, What work thou didst in their days, In the days of old.  

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  Thou didst drive out the nations with thy hand; But them thou didst plant: Thou didst afflict the peoples; But them thou didst spread abroad.  

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  For they gat not the land in possession by their own sword, Neither did their own arm save them; But thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, Because thou wast favorable unto them.  

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  Thou art my King, O God: Command deliverance for Jacob.  

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  Through thee will we push down our adversaries: Through thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us.  

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  For I will not trust in my bow, Neither shall my sword save me.  

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  But thou hast saved us from our adversaries, And hast put them to shame that hate us.  

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  In God have we made our boast all the day long, And we will give thanks unto thy name for ever. Selah  

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  But now thou hast cast [us] off, and brought us to dishonor, And goest not forth with our hosts.  

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  Thou makest us to turn back from the adversary; And they that hate us take spoil for themselves.  

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  Thou hast made us like sheep [appointed] for food, And hast scattered us among the nations.  

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  Thou sellest thy people for nought, And hast not increased [thy wealth] by their price.  

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  Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbors, A scoffing and a derision to them that are round about us.  

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  Thou makest us a byword among the nations, A shaking of the head among the peoples.  

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  All the day long is my dishonor before me, And the shame of my face hath covered me,  

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  For the voice of him that reproacheth and blasphemeth, By reason of the enemy and the avenger.  

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  All this is come upon us; Yet have we not forgotten thee, Neither have we dealt falsely in thy covenant.  

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  Our heart is not turned back, Neither have our steps declined from thy way,  

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  That thou hast sore broken us in the place of jackals, And covered us with the shadow of death.  

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  If we have forgotten the name of our God, Or spread forth our hands to a strange god;  

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  Will not God search this out? For he knoweth the secrets of the heart.  

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  Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.  

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  Awake, why sleepest thou, O Lord? Arise, cast [us] not off for ever.  

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  Wherefore hidest thou thy face, And forgettest our affliction and our oppression?  

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  For our soul is bowed down to the dust: Our body cleaveth unto the earth.  

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  Rise up for our help, And redeem us for thy lovingkindness' sake.   

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