Psalms 22

1 To the chief Musician. Upon Aijeleth-Shahar. A Psalm of David. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? [why art thou] far from my salvation, from the words of my groaning?

For the chief musician; set to “The rhythm of the deer.” A psalm of David. My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? Why are you so far from saving me and far from the words of my anguish?

2 My God, I cry by day, and thou answerest not; and by night, and there is no rest for me:

My God, I cry out in the daytime, but you do not answer, and at night I am not silent!

3 And thou art holy, thou that dwellest amid the praises of Israel.

Yet you are holy; you sit as king with the praises of Israel.

4 Our fathers confided in thee: they confided, and thou didst deliver them.

Our ancestors trusted in you; they trusted in you, and you rescued them.

5 They cried unto thee, and were delivered; they confided in thee, and were not confounded.

They cried to you and they were rescued. They trusted in you and were not disappointed.

6 But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and the despised of the people.

But I am a worm and not a man, a disgrace to humanity and despised by the people.

7 All they that see me laugh me to scorn; they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, [saying: ]

All those who see me taunt me; they mock me; they shake their heads at me.

8 Commit it to Jehovah — let him rescue him; let him deliver him, because he delighteth in him!

They say, “He trusts in Yahweh; let Yahweh rescue him. Let him rescue him, for he delights in him.”

9 But thou art he that took me out of the womb; thou didst make me trust, upon my mother's breasts.

For you brought me from the womb; you made me trust you when I was on my mother's breasts.

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

I have been thrown on you from the womb; you are my God since I was in my mother's womb!

11 Be not far from me, for trouble is near; for there is none to help.

Do not be far away from me, for trouble is near; there is no one to help.

12 Many bulls have encompassed me; Bashan's strong ones have beset me round.

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

13 They gape upon me with their mouth, [as] a ravening and a roaring lion.

They open their mouths wide against me like a roaring lion ripping its victim.

14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is become like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels.

I am being poured out like water, and all my bones are dislocated. My heart is like wax; it melts away within my inner parts.

15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue cleaveth to my palate; and thou hast laid me in the dust of death.

My strength has dried up like a piece of pottery; my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. You have laid me in the dust of death.

16 For dogs have encompassed me; an assembly of evil-doers have surrounded me: they pierced my hands and my feet.

For dogs have surrounded me; a company of evildoers has encircled me; they have pierced my hands and my feet.

17 I may count all my bones. They look, they stare upon me;

I can count all my bones. They look and stare at me.

18 They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.

They divide my garments among themselves, they cast lots for my clothes.

19 But thou, Jehovah, be not far [from me]; O my strength, haste thee to help me.

Do not be far away, Yahweh; please hurry to help me, my strength!

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

Rescue my soul from the sword, my only life from the claws of wild dogs.

21 Save me from the lion's mouth. Yea, from the horns of the buffaloes hast thou answered me.

Save me from the lion's mouth; rescue me from the horns of the wild oxen.

22 I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.

I will declare your name to my brothers; in the midst of the assembly I will praise you.

23 Ye that fear Jehovah, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and revere him, all ye the seed of Israel.

You who fear Yahweh, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor him! Stand in awe of him, all you descendants of Israel!

24 For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him: but when he cried unto him, he heard.

For he has not despised or abhorred the suffering of the afflicted one; Yahweh has not hidden his face from him; when the afflicted one cried to him, he heard.

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

My praise will be because of you in the great assembly; I will fulfill my vows before those who fear him.

26 The meek shall eat and be satisfied; they shall praise Jehovah that seek him: your heart shall live for ever.

The oppressed will eat and be satisfied; those who seek Yahweh will praise him. May your hearts live forever.

27 All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn unto Jehovah, and all the families of the nations shall worship before thee:

All the peoples of the earth will remember and turn to Yahweh; all the families of the nations will bow down before you.

28 For the kingdom is Jehovah's, and he ruleth among the nations.

For the kingdom is Yahweh's; he is the ruler over the nations.

29 All the fat ones of the earth shall eat and worship; all they that go down to the dust shall bow before him, and he that cannot keep alive his own soul.

All the prosperous people of the earth will feast and will worship; all those who are descending into the dust will bow before him, those who cannot preserve their own lives.

30 A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation.

A generation to come will serve him; they will tell the next generation of the Lord.

31 They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done [it].

They will come and tell of his righteousness; they will tell to a people not yet born what he has done!