Psalms 22

1 “For the leader of the music. To the tune of “The hind of the morning.” A psalm of David.” My God, my God! why hast thou forsaken me? Why so far from mine aid, and from the words of my cry?

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 cry during the day, but thou hearest not; In the night also, but I have no rest.

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

3 And yet thou art holy, Dwelling amid the praises of Israel!

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

4 Our fathers trusted in thee; They trusted, and thou didst save them.

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

5 They called upon thee, and were delivered; They trusted in thee, and were not put to shame.

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; The reproach of men, and the 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 who see me scoff at me; They open wide the lips; they shake the head.

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

8 “He trusted in the LORD, let him help him; Let him deliver him, since he delighted 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 Surely thou art he that didst bring me into the world; Thou didst make me lie secure upon my mother's breast!

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 Upon thee have I cast myself from my birth; Thou hast been my God from my earliest breath!

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 Oh, be not far from me, for trouble is near; For there is none to help!

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

12 Many bulls surround me; Strong bulls of Bashan close me in on every side.

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

13 They open their mouths wide against me, Like 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 out of joint; My heart is become like wax; It melteth in my bosom.

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 an earthen vessel, And my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; Thou hast brought me 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 dogs have surrounded me; Bands of evil-doers have encompassed me, —Like lions 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 I can count all my bones; They gaze, and feast their eyes upon me.

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

18 They divide my garments among them, And for my vesture they cast lots.

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

19 But be not thou far from me, O LORD! O my strength! make haste to mine aid!

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

20 Deliver my life from the sword; My blood 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; Shield me from the horns of the buffaloes!

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

22 I will proclaim thy name to my brethren; In the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.

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

23 Praise him, ye worshippers of Jehovah! Extol him, all ye race of Jacob. And fear him, all ye race of Israel!

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 hath not despised nor abhorred the misery of the afflicted. Nor hath he hid his face from him; But when he cried unto him, he heard.

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 shall be 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 afflicted shall eat, and be satisfied; They that seek the LORD shall praise him; Your hearts shall be glad for ever and 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 Jehovah; All the families of the nations shall worship before thee!

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 Jehovah's; He is the governor of the nations.

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

29 All the rich of the earth shall eat and worship; Before him shall they also bow, who are going down to the dust, Who cannot keep themselves alive.

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 The future generation shall serve him; The race which is to come shall hear of Jehovah.

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

31 They shall come, and declare his righteousness; His mighty deeds to the people that shall be born.

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