Chapter 44

  To the chief Musician for 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 times of old.  

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  How thou didst drive out the heathen with thy hand, and didst plant them; how thou didst afflict the people, and cast them out.  

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  For they obtained not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but thy right hand, and thy arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favor to them.  

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  Thou art my King, O God: command deliverances for Jacob.  

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  Through thee will we push down our enemies: through thy name we will 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 enemies, and hast put them to shame that hated us.  

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  In God we boast all the day long, and praise thy name for ever. Selah.  

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  But thou hast cast off, and put us to shame; and goest not forth with our armies.  

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  Thou makest us to turn back from the enemy: and they who hate us plunder for themselves.  

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  Thou hast given us like sheep appointed for food; and hast scattered us among the heathen.  

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  Thou sellest thy people for naught, and dost not increase thy wealth by their price.  

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  Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbors, a scorn and a derision to them that are around us.  

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  Thou makest us a by-word among the heathen, a shaking of the head among the people.  

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  My confusion is continually 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 avenger.  

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  All this is come upon us; yet we have 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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  Though thou hast severely broke us in the place of dragons, and covered us with the shades of death.  

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  If we have forgotten the name of our God, or stretched out our hands to a strange god;  

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

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  Yes, for thy sake are we killed all the day long; we are counted 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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  Why 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 belly cleaveth to the earth.  

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  Arise for our help, and redeem us for thy mercies' sake.  

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