1For the leader. Of the Korahites. A maskil. O God, we have heard with our ears, all our ancestors have told us of the work that you wrought in their day, your wonders in days of old,
2uprooting and crushing the nations, then planting and settling them. For it wasn't their own sword that won them the land,
3it was not their own arm that brought them the victory. Yours was the hand and the arm, yours was the face that shone on them with favor.
4It was you, my king and my God, that ordained the victories of Jacob.
5Through you we can thrust back our foes, and by your name tread down our assailants:
6for not in my bow do I trust, nor can my sword win me the victory.
7Our victory comes from you, and confusion to those who hate us.
8In God we boast all the day long, and your name will we praise forever. Selah
9Yet you have spurned and disgraced us, in not going forth with our armies,
10and in making us flee from the foe, so that those who hated us plundered us.
11You have let us be eaten like sheep, you have scattered us over the world,
12sold your people for a pittance, and getting no gain from their price.
13You have made us the butt of our neighbors, the derision and scorn of all round us.
14O'er the world you have made us a byword, the nations at us shake their heads.
15My disgrace is forever before me, my face is covered with shame,
16at the words of blasphemer and scoffer, at the sight of the foe and the vengeful.
17All this has come upon us, yet we have not forgotten you nor falsely dealt with your covenant.
18Our heart has not turned back, nor our steps declined from your way,
19that you thus should have crushed us down, and covered us over with gloom, in the place where the jackals roam.
20Had we forgotten the name of our God, or stretched out our hands to a god that was strange,
21would God not have searched this out? For he knows the heart and its secrets.
22But in your cause it is we are killed all the day, and counted as sheep for the slaughter.
23Rouse yourself, why do you sleep Lord? Awake, cast us not off forever.
24Why do you hide your face, forgetting our stress and our misery?
25For we have sunk down to the dust, our bodies cling to the ground.
26Arise, come to our help: for your love's sake, ransom us.
