Read the Bible

¹ TO THE OVERSEER. AN INSTRUCTION OF THE SONS OF KORAH. O God, we have heard with our ears, || Our fathers have recounted to us, || The work You worked in their days, || In the days of old.² You, [with] Your hand, have dispossessed nations. And You plant them. You afflict peoples, and send them away.³ For they did not possess the land by their sword, || And their arm did not give salvation to them, || But Your right hand, and Your arm, || And the light of Your countenance, || Because You had accepted them.⁴ You [are] He, my King, O God, || Command the deliverances of Jacob.⁵ By You we push our adversaries, || By Your Name we tread down our withstanders,⁶ For I do not trust in my bow, || And my sword does not save me.⁷ For You have saved us from our adversaries, || And You have put to shame those hating us.⁸ In God we have boasted all the day, || And we thank Your Name for all time. Selah.

⁹ In anger You have cast off and cause us to blush, || And do not go forth with our hosts.¹⁰ You cause us to turn backward from an adversary, || And those hating us, || Have spoiled for themselves.¹¹ You make us food like sheep, || And You have scattered us among nations.¹² You sell Your people—without wealth, || And have not become great by their price.¹³ You make us a reproach to our neighbors, || A scorn and a reproach to our surrounders.¹⁴ You make us an allegory among nations, || A shaking of the head among peoples.¹⁵ All the day my confusion [is] before me, || And the shame of my face has covered me.¹⁶ Because of the voice of a reproacher and reviler, || Because of an enemy and a self-avenger.

¹⁷ All this met us, and we did not forget You, || Nor have we dealt falsely in Your covenant.¹⁸ We do not turn our heart backward, || Nor turn aside our step from Your path.¹⁹ But You have struck us in a place of dragons, || And cover us over with death-shade.²⁰ If we have forgotten the Name of our God, || And spread our hands to a strange God,²¹ Does God not search this out? For He knows the secrets of the heart.²² Surely, for Your sake we have been slain all the day, || Reckoned as sheep of the slaughter.²³ Stir up—why do You sleep, O Lord? Awake, do not cast us off forever.²⁴ Why do You hide Your face? You forget our afflictions and our oppression,²⁵ For our soul has bowed to the dust, || Our belly has cleaved to the earth.²⁶ Arise, a help to us, || And ransom us for your kindness' sake.