44

We have heard it with our ears, O God
Our ancestors have told us
What you did in their days
In days long ago, long ago before us

With Your hand You drove out the nations
And planted our ancestors
You crushed the peoples
And made our ancestors flourish not considering other peoples protests

It 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 strongly

You are my King and my God
Who decrees victories for Jacob You chose
Through You we push back our enemies
Through Your name we trample our foes

I put no trust in my bow
My sword does not bring me victory
But you give us victory over our enemies
You put our adversaries to shame strictly
In God we make our boast all day long
And we will praise Your name forever
But now You have rejected and humbled us
You no longer go out with our armies, we may win never

You made us retreat before the enemy
And our adversaries have plundered us
You gave us up to be devoured like sheep
And have scattered us among the nations

You sold Your people for a pittance
Gaining nothing from their sale
You have made us a reproach to our neighbors
The scorn and derision of those around us all night and day

You have made us a byword among the nations
The peoples shake their heads at us
I live in disgrace all day long
And with shame is covered my face

At the taunts of those who reproach and revile me
Because of the enemy, who is bent on revenge as we’re abandoned
All this came upon us though we had not forgotten You
We had not been false to Your covenant

Our hearts had not turned back
Our feet had not strayed from your path
But you crushed us and made us a haunt for jackals
You covered us over with deep darkness in Your wrath

If we had forgotten the name of our God
Or spread out our hands to a foreign god
Would not God have discovered it
Since He knows the secrets of the heart?

Yet for Your sake we face death all day long
We are considered as sheep to be slaughtered
Awake, Lord! Why do you sleep?
Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever, we want to be heard

Why do You hide your face
And forget our misery and oppression?
We are brought down to the dust
We are the weakest among all the nations

We are brought down to the dust
Our bodies cling to the ground, look from above
Rise up and help us
Rescue us because of Your unfailing love