« | Psalm 44 | » |
1 For the leader. A maskil of the Korahites.
2 O God, we have heard with our own ears; our ancestors have told us The deeds you did in their days, with your own hand in days of old:
3 You rooted out nations to plant them, crushed peoples to make room for them.
4 Not with their own swords did they conquer the land, nor did their own arms bring victory; It was your right hand, your own arm, the light of your face for you favored them.
5 You are my king and my God, who bestows victories on Jacob.
6 Through you we batter our foes; through your name, trample our adversaries.
7 Not in my bow do I trust, nor does my sword bring me victory.
8 You have brought us victory over our enemies, shamed those who hate us.
9 In God we have boasted all the day long; your name we will praise forever. Selah
10 But now you have rejected and disgraced us; you do not march out with our armies.
11 You make us retreat before the foe; those who hate us plunder us at will.
12 You hand us over like sheep to be slaughtered, scatter us among the nations.
13 You sell your people for nothing; you make no profit from their sale.
14 You make us the reproach of our neighbors, the mockery and scorn of those around us.
15 You make us a byword among the nations; the peoples shake their heads at us.
16 All day long my disgrace is before me; shame has covered my face
17 At the sound of those who taunt and revile, at the sight of the spiteful enemy.
18 All this has come upon us, though we have not forgotten you, nor been disloyal to your covenant.
19 Our hearts have not turned back, nor have our steps strayed from your path.
20 Yet you have left us crushed, desolate in a place of jackals; you have covered us with darkness.
21 If we had forgotten the name of our God, stretched out our hands to another god,
22 Would not God have discovered this, God who knows the secrets of the heart?
23 For you we are slain all the day long, considered only as sheep to be slaughtered.
24 Awake! Why do you sleep, O Lord? Rise up! Do not reject us forever!
25 Why do you hide your face; why forget our pain and misery?
26 We are bowed down to the ground; our bodies are pressed to the earth.
27 Rise up, help us! Redeem us as your love demands.
The New American Standard Updated Version (NASU)
The New American Standard Updated Version (NASU) is a highly respected English translation of the Bible known for its rigorous adherence to the original languages of Scripture. First published in 1995 by the Lockman Foundation, the NASU is an update of the New American Standard Bible (NASB), which was originally completed in 1971. The NASU seeks to improve upon the NASB by enhancing readability and modernizing the language while maintaining the translation’s reputation for being one of the most literal translations available. This makes the NASU a preferred choice for serious Bible study, preaching, and teaching.
A key feature of the NASU is its commitment to formal equivalence, or a word-for-word translation philosophy. The translators aimed to produce a text that is as close as possible to the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek manuscripts. This approach ensures that the NASU captures the precise meaning and structure of the original texts, providing readers with a highly accurate and reliable representation of the Scriptures. The use of formal equivalence makes the NASU particularly valuable for those who desire a deep and detailed understanding of the Bible, including scholars, theologians, and students of the Word.
In updating the NASB, the NASU made several important changes to improve clarity and readability. While maintaining the accuracy and literalness of the translation, the NASU incorporates modern English expressions and smoother sentence structures. This makes the text more accessible to contemporary readers without compromising the precision that the NASB is known for. The NASU also includes updated cross-references and footnotes, which provide additional context and insights, further aiding in the study and understanding of the biblical text.
Despite its many strengths, the NASU has faced some criticism. Some readers and scholars argue that the translation’s emphasis on literalness can sometimes result in a text that feels stiff or less fluid than more dynamic translations. Additionally, while the NASU’s updated language makes it more accessible, some feel that it could go further in adapting to contemporary usage without losing its accuracy. Nevertheless, the New American Standard Updated Version remains a highly esteemed translation, valued for its fidelity to the original texts and its usefulness for in-depth study and precise interpretation of the Bible.