Psalm 44In Hebrew texts 44:1-26 is numbered 44:2-27.
For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A maskil.Title: Probably a literary or musical term
1We have heard it with our ears, O God;
our ancestors have told us
what you did in their days,
in days long ago.
2With your hand you drove out the nations
and planted our ancestors;
you crushed the peoples
and made our ancestors flourish.
3It 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.
4You are my King and my God,
who decrees44:4 Septuagint, Aquila and Syriac; Hebrew King, O God; / command victories for Jacob.
5Through you we push back our enemies;
through your name we trample our foes.
6I put no trust in my bow,
my sword does not bring me victory;
7but you give us victory over our enemies,
you put our adversaries to shame.
8In God we make our boast all day long,
and we will praise your name forever.44:8 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
9But now you have rejected and humbled us;
you no longer go out with our armies.
10You made us retreat before the enemy,
and our adversaries have plundered us.
11You gave us up to be devoured like sheep
and have scattered us among the nations.
12You sold your people for a pittance,
gaining nothing from their sale.
13You have made us a reproach to our neighbors,
the scorn and derision of those around us.
14You have made us a byword among the nations;
the peoples shake their heads at us.
15I live in disgrace all day long,
and my face is covered with shame
16at the taunts of those who reproach and revile me,
because of the enemy, who is bent on revenge.
17All this came upon us,
though we had not forgotten you;
we had not been false to your covenant.
18Our hearts had not turned back;
our feet had not strayed from your path.
19But you crushed us and made us a haunt for jackals;
you covered us over with deep darkness.
20If we had forgotten the name of our God
or spread out our hands to a foreign god,
21would not God have discovered it,
since he knows the secrets of the heart?
22Yet for your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.
23Awake, Lord! Why do you sleep?
Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever.
24Why do you hide your face
and forget our misery and oppression?
25We are brought down to the dust;
our bodies cling to the ground.
26Rise up and help us;
rescue us because of your unfailing love.
Bøn efter et nederlag i krigen
1Til korlederen: En visdomssang af Koras slægt.
2Gud, vi har hørt om de mange undere,
du gjorde for vore forfædre i gamle dage.
3Du drev Kana’ans folk bort
og lod dit folk bosætte sig i deres land.
4De indtog ikke landet i egen kraft,
men du var med dem og hjalp dem.
5Du er vor Konge og Gud.
Giv fortsat sejr til dit folk.
6Med din hjælp får vi fjenderne under fod,
i dit navn besejrer vi vore modstandere.
7Vi stoler ikke på bue og sværd,
8for det er dig, der giver os sejr over fjenderne.
9Vi er stolte af at tilhøre dig, Gud,
vi vil prise dit navn for evigt.
10Hvordan kan det så være, at vi tabte slaget?
Hvorfor var du ikke med os i krigen?
Hvorfor har du forkastet os?
11Du tillod fjenden at drive os på flugt.
De plyndrede hele vores hær.
12Du udleverede os som får, der skal slagtes.
Du spredte os rundt blandt fremmede folk.
13Du solgte os for en slik,
regnede os ikke for noget.
14Vi blev til grin for nabofolkene,
de spotter og håner os.
15Selv fjerne folkeslag ler ad os
og ser på os med foragt.
16Vi føler os totalt ydmyget,
overvældet af skam.
17Vore fjender ser ned på os
og udslynger hån og spot.
18Hvordan kunne det ske, Gud?
Vi har da ikke svigtet dig
eller overtrådt den pagt, du oprettede med os.
19Vi har ikke været utro imod dig,
men har adlydt de bud, du gav os.
20Og dog blev vores by lagt i ruiner,
du sendte mørke og død over os.
21Hvis vi var holdt op med at tilbede dig, Gud,
og havde dyrket afguder i stedet,
22ville du da ikke vide besked?
Du kender jo vore inderste tanker.
23Men på trods af, at vi tilhører dig,
er vi i livsfare hver eneste dag.
Vi er som får, der er på vej til slagtning.
24Vågn op, Herre, hvorfor sover du?
Rejs dig, forkast os ikke længere!
25Hvorfor ser du den anden vej
og ignorerer vores nød og sorg?
26Vi ligger med ansigtet i støvet,
vore kroppe klæber til jorden.
27Grib ind, Herre, kom os til hjælp!
Red os i din trofasthed og nåde.
