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

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

6 F or 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 hast put them to shame that hate us.

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

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

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

11 T hou hast given us over like sheep for meat, and hast scattered us among the nations;

12 T hou hast sold thy people for nought, and hast not increased by their price;

13 T hou 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 byword among the nations, a shaking of the head among the peoples.

15 A ll the day my confusion is before me, and the shame of my face hath covered me,

16 B ecause of the voice of him that reproacheth and blasphemeth; by reason of the enemy and the avenger.

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

18 O ur heart is not turned back, neither have our steps declined from thy path;

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

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

21 W ould not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart.

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

23 A wake, why sleepest thou, Lord? arise, cast not off for ever.

24 W herefore hidest thou thy face, forgettest our affliction and our oppression?

25 F or our soul is bowed down to the dust; our belly cleaveth unto the earth.

26 R ise up for our help, and redeem us for thy loving-kindness' sake.