Psalm 44, read aloud, KJV

Psalm 44, King James Version

Read the chapter as you listen

¹We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us, what work thou didst in their days, in the times of old. ²How thou didst drive out the heathen with thy hand, and plantedst them; how thou didst afflict the people, and cast them out. ³For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favour unto them. ⁴Thou art my King, O God: command deliverances for Jacob. ⁵Through thee will we push down our enemies: through thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us. ⁶For I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me. ⁷But thou hast saved us from our enemies, and hast put them to shame that hated us. ⁸In God we boast all the day long, and praise thy name for ever. Selah. ⁹But thou hast cast off, and put us to shame; and goest not forth with our armies. ¹⁰Thou makest us to turn back from the enemy: and they which hate us spoil for themselves. ¹¹Thou hast given us like sheep appointed for meat; and hast scattered us among the heathen. ¹²Thou sellest thy people for nought, and dost not increase thy wealth by their price. ¹³Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and a derision to them that are round about us. ¹⁴Thou makest us a byword among the heathen, a shaking of the head among the people. ¹⁵My confusion is continually before me, and the shame of my face hath covered me, ¹⁶For the voice of him that reproacheth and blasphemeth; by reason of the enemy and avenger. ¹⁷All this is come upon us; yet have we not forgotten thee, neither have we dealt falsely in thy covenant. ¹⁸Our heart is not turned back, neither have our steps declined from thy way; ¹⁹Though thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons, and covered us with the shadow of death. ²⁰If we have forgotten the name of our God, or stretched out our hands to a strange god; ²¹Shall not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart. ²²Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter. ²³Awake, why sleepest thou, O Lord? arise, cast us not off for ever. ²⁴Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and forgettest our affliction and our oppression? ²⁵For our soul is bowed down to the dust: our belly cleaveth unto the earth. ²⁶Arise for our help, and redeem us for thy mercies’ sake.