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¹ To the choirmaster. A Maskil of the Sons of Korah. We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us, what deeds thou didst perform in their days, in the days of old:² thou with thy own hand didst drive out the nations, but them thou didst plant; thou didst afflict the peoples, but them thou didst set free;³ for not by their own sword did they win the land, nor did their own arm give them victory; but thy right hand, and thy arm, and the light of thy countenance; for thou didst delight in them.⁴ Thou art my King and my God, who ordainest victories for Jacob.⁵ Through thee we push down our foes; through thy name we tread down our assailants.⁶ For not in my bow do I trust, nor can my sword save me.⁷ But thou hast saved us from our foes, and hast put to confusion those who hate us.⁸ In God we have boasted continually, and we will give thanks to thy name for ever. [Selah]

⁹ Yet thou hast cast us off and abased us, and hast not gone out with our armies.¹⁰ Thou hast made us turn back from the foe; and our enemies have gotten spoil.¹¹ Thou hast made us like sheep for slaughter, and hast scattered us among the nations.¹² Thou hast sold thy people for a trifle, demanding no high price for them.¹³ Thou hast made us the taunt of our neighbors, the derision and scorn of those about us.¹⁴ Thou hast made us a byword among the nations, a laughingstock among the peoples.¹⁵ All day long my disgrace is before me, and shame has covered my face,¹⁶ at the words of the taunters and revilers, at the sight of the enemy and the avenger.

¹⁷ All this has come upon us, though we have not forgotten thee, or been false to thy covenant.¹⁸ Our heart has not turned back, nor have our steps departed from thy way,¹⁹ that thou shouldst have broken us in the place of jackals, and covered us with deep darkness.²⁰ If we had forgotten the name of our God, or spread forth our hands to a strange god,²¹ would not God discover this? For he knows the secrets of the heart.²² Nay, for thy sake we are slain all the day long, and accounted as sheep for the slaughter.²³ Rouse thyself! Why sleepest thou, O Lord? Awake! Do not cast us off for ever!²⁴ Why dost thou hide thy face? Why dost thou forget our affliction and oppression?²⁵ For our soul is bowed down to the dust; our body cleaves to the ground.²⁶ Rise up, come to our help! Deliver us for the sake of thy steadfast love!