Psalms 22

1 For the end, concerning the morning aid, a Psalm of David. O God, my God, attend to me: why hast thou forsaken me? the account of my transgressions is far from my salvation.

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?

2 O my God, I will cry to thee by day, but thou wilt not hear: and by night, and [it shall] not [be accounted] for folly to me.

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

3 But thou, the praise of Israel, dwellest in a sanctuary.

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

4 Our fathers hoped in thee; they hoped, and thou didst deliver them.

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

5 They cried to thee, and were saved: they hoped in thee, and were not ashamed.

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

6 But I am a worm, and not a man; a reproach of men, and scorn of the people.

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

7 All that saw me mocked me: they spoke with [their] lips, they shook the head, [saying],

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

8 He hoped in the Lord: let him deliver him, let him save him, because he takes pleasure in him.

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.

9 For thou art he that drew me out of the womb; my hope from my mother's breasts.

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.

10 I was cast on thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother's belly.

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

11 Stand not aloof from me; for affliction is near; for there is no helper.

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

12 Many bullocks have compassed me: fat bulls have beset me round.

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

13 They have opened their mouth against me, as a ravening and roaring lion.

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

14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are loosened: my heart in the midst of my belly is become like melting wax.

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.

15 My strength is dried up, like a potsherd; and my tongue is glued to my throat; and thou hast brought me down to the dust of death.

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.

16 For many dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked doers has beset me round: they pierced my hands and my feet.

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

17 They counted all my bones; and they observed and looked upon me.

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

18 They parted my garments [among] themselves, and cast lots upon my raiment.

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

19 But thou, O Lord, remove not my help afar off: be ready for mine aid.

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

20 Deliver my soul from the sword; my only-begotten one from the power of the dog.

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

21 Save me from the lion's mouth; and [regard] my lowliness from the horns of the unicorns.

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

22 I will declare thy name to my brethren: in the midst of the church will I sing praise to thee.

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

23 Ye that fear the Lord, praise him; all ye seed of Jacob, glorify him: let all the seed of Israel fear him.

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.

24 For he has not despised nor been angry at the supplication of the poor; nor turned away his face from me; but when I cried to him, he heard me.

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.

25 My praise is of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him.

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

26 The poor shall eat and be satisfied; and they shall praise the Lord that seek him: their heart shall live for ever.

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.

27 All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before him.

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.

28 For the kingdom is the Lord's; and he is the governor of the nations.

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

29 All the fat ones of the earth have eaten and worshipped: all that go down to the earth shall fall down before him: my soul also lives to him.

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.

30 And my seed shall serve him: the generation that is coming shall be reported to the Lord.

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

31 And they shall report his righteousness to the people that shall be born, whom the Lord has made.

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