Psalm XLIV

We with our ears have heard, O God,
Our [ancient] fathers have us told
What work thou in their days hast done,
Even in the [famous] times of old.

How thou didst drive the heathen out,
And plant them in their [pleasant] land
By thy own gift; but didst afflict
The [heathen] people with thy hand.

Their own sword got not them the land,
Nor their own arm [and strength] them save;
But thy hand and light countenance,
All this thy [love and] favour gave.

Thou art my King, for Jacob, Lord,
Deliverance [do thou] command:

Through thee we shall push down our foes,
[Even those] that do against us stand.
We through thy name will tread them down,
Who rose [and fought] against us have;

For in my bow I will not trust,
Nor shall my sword [or strength] me save.

But thou hast sav'd us from our foes,
[And all] our haters put to shame;

In God we all the day do boast,
And [we will] ever praise thy name.

But now even thou hast cast us off,
And us to [open] shame hast put;
And when our armies have gone forth,
With them [to war] thou goest not out.

Thou mak'st us from the enemy
To fly [in fear] and turn our back;
And they who hate us, for themselves,
Our wealth as spoil [away] do take.

Thou scatterest us in heathen lands,
And givest us [to them] for meat:

And sellest us for nought, and dost
No [wealth or] increase for us get.

Thou makest us a meer reproach
To all our neighbours [that are] near;
Derision and a scorn to them
That round about us [dwelling] are.

Among the heathen thou dost us
A jeast and [very] by-word make;
The people in contempt and spight,
At us [cast down] their heads do shake.

My great confusion and disgrace
I as before me [always] see;
Of my reproached countenance
The shame hath [daily] covered me.

Because of the reproachers voice,
Which [of thee] speaketh blasphemy,
Because of the revenging rage
Of this our [cruel] enemy.

All this is come on us, yet we
[O God] have not forgotten thee,
Nor falsly from thy Covenant
Apostatiz'd [and gone] have we.

Our heart's not turned back, nor have
Our [going] steps from thy ways stray'd;

Though thou us among Dragons break'st,
And in death's [covering] shade hast lay'd.

If we the Lord's name have forgot,
Or [any] help from Idols sought;

Would not God search this out, who knows
The [very] secrets of our thought?

We for thy sake are kill'd all day,
[And] counted [but] as slaughter-sheep

Rise, Lord, cast us not ever off;
Awake [for us;] why dost thou sleep?

Wherefore thus hidest thou thy face,
Forgetting [this] our [great] distress;

And look'st not on our miseries,
[Nor them] that do our souls oppress.

Our soul is bowed down to dust,
To earth our [very] bellies cleave:
Arise, Lord, for thy mercies sake,
And us [do thou] redeem and save.