1 T o the Overseer. -- By sons of Korah. An Instruction. O God, with our ears we have heard, Our fathers have recounted to us, The work Thou didst work in their days, In the days of old.

O God, with our ears have we heard, our fathers have told us, the work thou wroughtest in their days, in the days of old:

2 T hou, Thy hand, nations hast dispossessed. And Thou dost plant them. Thou afflictest peoples, and sendest them away.

Thou, by thy hand, didst dispossess the nations, but them thou didst plant; thou didst afflict the peoples, but them didst thou cause to spread out.

3 F or, not by their sword Possessed they the land, And their arm gave not salvation to them, But Thy right hand, and Thine arm, And the light of Thy countenance, Because Thou hadst accepted them.

For not by their own sword did they take possession of the land, neither did their own arm save them; but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst delight in them.

4 T hou He, my king, O God, Command the deliverances of Jacob.

Thou thyself art my king, O God: command deliverance for Jacob.

5 B y Thee our adversaries we do push, By Thy name tread down our withstanders,

Through thee will we push down our adversaries; through thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us.

6 F or, not in my bow do I trust, And my sword doth not save me.

For I will not put confidence in my bow, neither shall my sword save me.

7 F or Thou hast saved us from our adversaries, And those hating us Thou hast put to shame.

For thou hast saved us from our adversaries, and hast put them to shame that hate us.

8 I n God we have boasted all the day, And Thy name to the age we thank. Selah.

In God will we boast all the day, and we will praise thy name for ever. Selah.

9 I n anger Thou hast cast off and causest us to blush, And goest not forth with our hosts.

But thou hast cast off, and put us to confusion, and dost not go forth with our armies;

10 T hou causest us to turn backward from an adversary, And those hating us, Have spoiled for themselves.

Thou hast made us to turn back from the adversary, and they that hate us spoil for themselves;

11 T hou makest us food like sheep, And among nations Thou hast scattered us.

Thou hast given us over like sheep for meat, and hast scattered us among the nations;

12 T hou sellest Thy people -- without wealth, And hast not become great by their price.

Thou hast sold thy people for nought, and hast not increased by their price;

13 T hou makest us a reproach to our neighbours, A scorn and a reproach to our surrounders.

Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbours, a mockery and a derision for them that are round about us;

14 T hou makest us a simile among nations, A shaking of the head among peoples.

Thou makest us a byword among the nations, a shaking of the head among the peoples.

15 A ll the day my confusion before me, And the shame of my face hath covered me.

All the day my confusion is before me, and the shame of my face hath covered me,

16 B ecause of the voice of a reproacher and reviler, Because of an enemy and a self-avenger.

Because of the voice of him that reproacheth and blasphemeth; by reason of the enemy and the avenger.

17 A ll this met us, and we did not forget Thee, Nor have we dealt falsely in Thy covenant.

All this is come upon us; yet have we not forgotten thee, neither have we dealt falsely against thy covenant:

18 W e turn not backward our heart, Nor turn aside doth our step from Thy path.

Our heart is not turned back, neither have our steps declined from thy path;

19 B ut Thou hast smitten us in a place of dragons, And dost cover us over with death-shade.

Though thou hast crushed us in the place of jackals, and covered us with the shadow of death.

20 I f we have forgotten the name of our God, And spread our hands to a strange God,

If we had forgotten the name of our God, and stretched out our hands to a strange god,

21 D oth not God search out this? For He knoweth the secrets of the heart.

Would not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart.

22 S urely, for Thy sake we have been slain all the day, Reckoned as sheep of the slaughter.

But for thy sake are we killed all the day long; we are reckoned as sheep for slaughter.

23 S tir up -- why dost Thou sleep, O Lord? Awake, cast us not off for ever.

Awake, why sleepest thou, Lord? arise, cast not off for ever.

24 W hy Thy face hidest Thou? Thou forgettest our afflictions and our oppression,

Wherefore hidest thou thy face, forgettest our affliction and our oppression?

25 F or bowed to the dust hath our soul, Cleaved to the earth hath our belly.

For our soul is bowed down to the dust; our belly cleaveth unto the earth.

26 A rise, a help to us, And ransom us for thy kindness' sake.

Rise up for our help, and redeem us for thy loving-kindness' sake.