For the Chief Musician. By the sons of Korah. A contemplative psalm.

• ¹We have heard with our ears, God;
• our fathers have told us,
• what work you did in their days,
• in the days of old.

• ²You drove out the nations with your hand,
• but you planted them.

• You afflicted the peoples,
• but you spread them abroad.

• ³For they didn’t get the land in possession by their own sword,
• neither did their own arm save them;

• but your right hand, and your arm, and the light of your face,
• because you were favorable to them.

• ⁴You are my King, God.
• Command victories for Jacob!

• ⁵Through you, will we push down our adversaries.
• Through your name, will we tread them under who rise up against us.

• ⁶For I will not trust in my bow,
• neither shall my sword save me.

• ⁷But you have saved us from our adversaries,
• and have shamed those who hate us.

• ⁸In God we have made our boast all day long,
• we will give thanks to your name forever.

• Selah.

• ⁹But now you rejected us, and brought us to dishonor,
• and don’t go out with our armies.

• ¹⁰You make us turn back from the adversary.
• Those who hate us take spoil for themselves.

• ¹¹You have made us like sheep for food,
• and have scattered us among the nations.

• ¹²You sell your people for nothing,
• and have gained nothing from their sale.

• ¹³You make us a reproach to our neighbors,
• a scoffing and a derision to those who are around us.

• ¹⁴You make us a byword among the nations,
• a shaking of the head among the peoples.

• ¹⁵All day long my dishonor is before me,
• and shame covers my face,
• ¹⁶At the taunt of one who reproaches and verbally abuses,
• because of the enemy and the avenger.

• ¹⁷All this has come on us,
• yet have we not forgotten you,
• Neither have we been false to your covenant.

• ¹⁸Our heart has not turned back,
• neither have our steps strayed from your path,
• ¹⁹Though you have crushed us in the haunt of jackals,
• and covered us with the shadow of death.

• ²⁰If we have forgotten the name of our God,
• or spread forth our hands to a strange god;
• ²¹won’t God search this out?
• For he knows the secrets of the heart.

• ²²Yes, for your sake we are killed all day long.
• We are regarded as sheep for the slaughter.

• ²³Wake up!
• Why do you sleep, Lord? *The word translated “Lord” is “Adonai.”

• Arise!
• Don’t reject us forever.

• ²⁴Why do you hide your face,
• and forget our affliction and our oppression?

• ²⁵For our soul is bowed down to the dust.
• Our body clings to the earth.

• ²⁶Rise up to help us.
• Redeem us for your loving kindness’ sake.