Psalm 44 - Easy To Read Version

¹ God, we have heard about you.\par Our fathers told us what you did\par in their lifetime.\par They told us what you did long ago.\par

² God, with your great power\par you took this land from other people,\par and you gave it to us.\par You crushed those foreign people.\par You forced them to leave this land.\par

³ It was not our father’s swords\par that took the land.\par It was not their strong arms\par that made them winners.\par It was because you were with our fathers.\par God, your great power saved our fathers.\par Why? Because you loved them!\par

⁴ My God, you are my king.\par Give the command\par and lead Jacob’s people to victory.\par

⁵ My God, with your help,\par we will push back our enemies.\par With your name,\par we will walk on our enemies.\par

⁶ I don’t trust my bow \{and arrows\}.\par My sword can’t save me.\par

⁷ God, you saved us from Egypt.\par You put our enemies to shame.\par

⁸ We have praised God all day long!\par And we will praise your name forever!\par \i (SELAH {\cf2\super [266]})\i0 \par

⁹ But, God, you left us.\par You embarrassed us.\par You did not come with us into battle.\par

¹⁰ You let our enemies push us back.\par Our enemies took our wealth.\par

¹¹ You gave us away like sheep\par to be eaten as food.\par You scattered us among the foreigners.\par

¹² God, you sold your people for nothing.\par You didn’t even argue over the price.\par

¹³ You made us a joke to our neighbors.\par They laugh at us and make fun of us.\par

¹⁴ We are one of the funny stories people tell.\par Even people without a nation of their own\par laugh at us and shake their heads.\par

¹⁵ I am covered with shame.\par All day long I see my shame.\par

¹⁶ \{I hide in shame\} at the jokes and insults\par coming from my enemy who\par wanted to get even with me.\par

¹⁷ God, we have not forgotten you.\par Yet you do all those things to us.\par We did not lie when we signed\par our Agreement {\cf2\super [267]} with you!\par

¹⁸ God, we have not turned away from you.\par We have not stopped following you.\par

¹⁹ But, God, you crushed us in this place\par where jackals {\cf2\super [268]} live.\par You left us in this place\par as dark as death.\par

²⁰ Did we forget the name of our God?\par Did we pray to foreign gods?\par \{No!\}\par

²¹ Surely, God knows these things.\par He knows even our deepest secrets.\par

²² God, all day long we died for you!\par We were like sheep being led away\par to be killed.\par

²³ Get up, my Master!\par Why are you sleeping?\par Get up!\par Don’t leave us forever!\par

²⁴ God, why are you hiding from us?\par Have you forgotten our pain and troubles?\par

²⁵ We have been pushed down into the dirt.\par We are lying with our belly in the dust. {\cf2\super [269]} \par

²⁶ God, get up and help us!\par Rescue us because of your true love!\par