Psalms 22

1 To the chief music-maker on Aijeleth-hash-shahar. A Psalm. Of David. My God, my God, why are you turned away from me? why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my crying?

For the choirmaster. To the tune of “The Doe of the Dawn.” A Psalm of David. My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Why are You so far from saving me, so far from my words of groaning?

2 O my God, I make my cry in the day, and you give no answer; and in the night, and have no rest.

I cry out by day, O my God, but You do not answer, and by night, but I have no rest.

3 But you are holy, O you who are seated among the praises of Israel.

Yet You are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.

4 Our fathers had faith in you: they had faith and you were their saviour.

In You our fathers trusted; they trusted and You delivered them.

5 They sent up their cry to you and were made free: they put their faith in you and were not put to shame.

They cried out to You and were set free; they trusted in You and were not disappointed.

6 But I am a worm and not a man; cursed by men, and looked down on by the people.

But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people.

7 I am laughed at by all those who see me: pushing out their lips and shaking their heads they say,

All who see me mock me; they sneer and shake their heads:

8 He put his faith in the Lord; let the Lord be his saviour now: let the Lord be his saviour, because he had delight in him.

“He trusts in the LORD, let the LORD deliver him; let the LORD rescue him, since He delights in him.”

9 But it was you who took care of me from the day of my birth: you gave me faith even from my mother's breasts.

Yet You brought me forth from the womb; You made me secure at my mother’s breast.

10 I was in your hands even before my birth; you are my God from the time when I was in my mother's body.

From birth I was cast upon You; from my mother’s womb You have been my God.

11 Be not far from me, for trouble is near; there is no one to give help.

Be not far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help.

12 A great herd of oxen is round me: I am shut in by the strong oxen of Bashan.

Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.

13 I saw their mouths wide open, like lions crying after food.

They open their jaws against me like lions that roar and maul.

14 I am flowing away like water, and all my bones are out of place: my heart is like wax, it has become soft in my body.

I am poured out like water, and all my bones are disjointed. My heart is like wax; it melts away within me.

15 My throat is dry like a broken vessel; my tongue is fixed to the roof of my mouth, and the dust of death is on my lips.

My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. You lay me in the dust of death.

16 Dogs have come round me: I am shut in by the band of evil-doers; they made wounds in my hands and feet.

For dogs surround me; a band of evil men encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet.

17 I am able to see all my bones; their looks are fixed on me:

I can count all my bones; they stare and gloat over me.

18 They make a division of my robes among them, by the decision of chance they take my clothing.

They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.

19 Do not be far from me, O Lord: O my strength, come quickly to my help.

But You, O LORD, be not far off; O my Strength, come quickly to help me.

20 Make my soul safe from the sword, my life from the power of the dog.

Deliver my soul from the sword, my precious life from the power of wild dogs.

21 Be my saviour from the lion's mouth; let me go free from the horns of the cruel oxen.

Save me from the mouth of the lion; at the horns of the wild oxen You have answered me!

22 I will give the knowledge of your name to my brothers: I will give you praise among the people.

I will proclaim Your name to my brothers; I will praise You in the assembly.

23 You who have fear of the Lord, give him praise; all you seed of Jacob, give him glory; go in fear of him, all you seed of Israel.

You who fear the LORD, praise Him! All descendants of Jacob, honor Him! All offspring of Israel, revere Him!

24 For he has not been unmoved by the pain of him who is troubled; or kept his face covered from him; but he has given an answer to his cry.

For He has not despised or detested the torment of the afflicted. He has not hidden His face from him, but has attended to his cry for help.

25 My praise will be of you in the great meeting: I will make my offerings before his worshippers.

My praise for You resounds in the great assembly; I will fulfill my vows before those who fear You.

26 The poor will have a feast of good things: those who make search for the Lord will give him praise: your heart will have life for ever.

The poor will eat and be satisfied; those who seek the LORD will praise Him. May your hearts live forever!

27 All the ends of the earth will keep it in mind and be turned to the Lord: all the families of the nations will give him worship.

All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD. All the families of the nations will bow down before Him.

28 For the kingdom is the Lord's; he is the ruler among the nations.

For dominion belongs to the LORD and He rules over the nations.

29 All the fat ones of the earth will give him worship; all those who go down to the dust will make themselves low before him, even he who has not enough for the life of his soul.

All the rich of the earth will feast and worship; all who go down to the dust will kneel before Him— even those unable to preserve their lives.

30 A seed will be his servant; the doings of the Lord will be made clear to the generation which comes after.

Posterity will serve Him; they will declare the Lord to a new generation.

31 They will come and make his righteousness clear to a people of the future because he has done this.

They will come and proclaim His righteousness to a people yet unborn— all that He has done.