1 - ?For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A maskil.
We have heard it with our ears, O God; our ancestors 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 ancestors; you crushed the peoples and made our ancestors 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
5 - Through you we push back our enemies; through your name we trample our foes.
6 - I put no 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 - I live in disgrace 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 came upon us, though we had not forgotten you; we had not 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; you 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, 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; rescue us because of your unfailing love.