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¹ For the Chief Musician; a Psalm of the sons of Korah. Maschil. We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us, what work thou didst in their days, in the days of old.² Thou didst drive out the nations with thy hand, and plantedst them in; thou didst afflict the peoples, and didst spread them abroad.³ For they gat not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favour unto them.⁴ Thou art my King, O God: command deliverance for Jacob.⁵ Through thee will we push down our adversaries: through thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us.⁶ For I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me.⁷ But thou hast saved us from our adversaries, and hast put them to shame that hate us.⁸ In God have we made our boast all the day long, and we will give thanks unto thy name for ever. Selah

⁹ But now thou hast cast us off, and brought us to dishonour; and goest not forth with our hosts.¹⁰ Thou makest us to turn back from the adversary: and they which hate us spoil for themselves.¹¹ Thou hast given us like sheep appointed for meat; and hast scattered us among the nations.¹² Thou sellest thy people for nought, and hast not increased thy wealth by their price.¹³ Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and a derision to them that are round about us.¹⁴ Thou makest us a byword among the nations, a shaking of the head among the peoples.¹⁵ All the day long is my dishonour before me, and the shame of my face hath covered me,¹⁶ For the voice of him that reproacheth and blasphemeth; by reason of the enemy and the avenger.

¹⁷ All this is come upon us; yet have we not forgotten thee, neither have we dealt falsely in thy covenant.¹⁸ Our heart is not turned back, neither have our steps declined from thy way;¹⁹ That thou hast sore broken us in the place of jackals, and covered us with the shadow of death.²⁰ If we have forgotten the name of our God, or spread forth our hands to a strange god;²¹ Shall not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart.²² Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter.²³ Awake, why sleepest thou, O Lord? arise, cast us not off for ever.²⁴ Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and forgettest our affliction and our oppression?²⁵ For our soul is bowed down to the dust: our belly cleaveth unto the earth.²⁶ Rise up for our help, and redeem us for thy lovingkindness' sake.