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¹ To the chief Musician for 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 times of old.² [How] thou didst drive out the heathen with thy hand, and didst plant them; [how] thou didst afflict the people, and cast them out.³ For they obtained not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but thy right hand, and thy arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favor to them.⁴ Thou art my King, O God: command deliverances for Jacob.⁵ Through thee will we push down our enemies: through thy name we will 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 enemies, and hast put them to shame that hated us.⁸ In God we boast all the day long, and praise thy name for ever. Selah.

⁹ But thou hast cast off, and put us to shame; and goest not forth with our armies.¹⁰ Thou makest us to turn back from the enemy: and they who hate us plunder for themselves.¹¹ Thou hast given us like sheep [appointed] for food; and hast scattered us among the heathen.¹² Thou sellest thy people for naught, and dost not increase [thy wealth] by their price.¹³ Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbors, a scorn and a derision to them that are around us.¹⁴ Thou makest us a by-word among the heathen, a shaking of the head among the people.¹⁵ My confusion [is] continually 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 avenger.

¹⁷ All this is come upon us; yet we have 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 Though thou hast severely broke us in the place of dragons, and covered us with the shades of death.²⁰ If we have forgotten the name of our God, or stretched out our hands to a strange god;²¹ Will not God search out this? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart.²² Yes, 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 Why hidest thou thy face, [and] forgettest our affliction and our oppression?²⁵ For our soul is bowed down to the dust: our belly cleaveth to the earth.²⁶ Arise for our help, and redeem us for thy mercies' sake.