Psalms 22

1 My God, my God, why have you abandoned/deserted me? Why do you stay so far from me, and why do you not hear/help me [RHQ]? Why do you not hear me when I am groaning?

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 My God, every day I call to you during the daytime and during the night, but you do not answer me, so I am not able to sleep.

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 you are holy. You sit on your throne as king, and [we the people of] Israel praise you [PRS].

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

4 Our ancestors trusted in you. [Because] they trusted in you, you rescued them.

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

5 When they cried out to you, you saved them. They trusted in you, and (they were not disappointed/you [saved them] as you said that you would).

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 [you have not rescued me] [People despise me and consider that I am not a man]; [they think that] I am [as worthless as] a worm! Everyone [HYP] scorns me and despises me.

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

7 Everyone who sees me [HYP] makes fun of me. They sneer at me and [insult me by] shaking their heads [at me as though I were an evil man]. They say,

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

8 “He trusts in Yahweh, so Yahweh should save him! [He says that] Yahweh is very pleased with him; if that is so, Yahweh should rescue 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 [Why do] you [not] protect me [now as you did] when I was born? I was safe even when I was (nursing/drinking milk 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 [It was as though] you adopted me right when I was born. You have (been my God/taken care of me) ever since I was born.

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 So, (do not stay far from/stay close to) [LIT] me now because [enemies who will cause me much] trouble are near me, and there is no one [else] who can help me.

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

12 [My enemies] surround me [like] a herd/group of wild bulls. [Fierce people, like those] strong bulls that graze [on the hills] in Bashan [area], encircle me.

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

13 [They are like] roaring lions that are attacking the animals that they want to kill [MET] [and eat]; they rush toward me [to kill] me; they [are like lions that] have their mouths open, [ready to tear their victims to pieces] [MET].

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

14 I am completely exhausted [MET], and all my bones are out of their joints/places. I [no longer expect that God will save me]; [that expectation is gone completely], like wax that has melted away.

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 [all dried up] [MET] like a broken piece of a clay jar that has dried [in the sun]. [I am so thirsty that] my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. O God, [I think that you are about to let] me die and become dirt!

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 My enemies [MET] surround me like a pack/group of wild dogs. A group of evil men has encircled me, [ready to attack me]. They have [already] smashed 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 am so weak and thin that] my bones can be seen and counted. My enemies stare at me and (gloat/are happy) about [what has happened to] me.

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

18 They looked at the clothes that I [was wearing] and gambled to determine which piece each of them would get.

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

19 O Yahweh, do not stay far away from me! You who are my [source of] strength, come quickly and help me!

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

20 Rescue me from [those who want to kill me with] their swords. Save me from those who are [like wild/fierce] dogs [MET].

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

21 Snatch me away from [my enemies who are] like lions whose jaws [are already open, ready to chew me up] Grab me away from [those men who are like] wild oxen [that attack other animals with] their horns [MET]!

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

22 [But you have saved me, so] I will declare to my fellow [Israelis] how great you [MTY] are. I will praise you among the group of your people gathered [to worship you].

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

23 You people who have an awesome respect for Yahweh, praise him! All you who are descended from Jacob, honor Yahweh! All you Israeli people, revere 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 He does not despise or ignore those who are suffering; he does not hide (his face/himself) from them. He has listened to them when they cried out to him for help.

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 Yahweh, in the great gathering [of your people], I will praise you for what you have done. In the presence of those who revere you, I will offer [the sacrifices] that I promised.

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

26 The poor people [whom I have invited to the meal] will eat as much as they want. All who come worship Yahweh will praise him. I pray that [God will enable] you all to live a long and happy life!

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 I pray that [people in all nations, even] in the remote areas, will think about Yahweh and turn to him, and that people from all the clans in the world will bow down 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 Because Yahweh is the king! He rules all the nations.

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

29 I desire that all the rich people on the earth will bow before him. Some day they will die, but I want them to prostrate themselves on the ground in his presence [before they die].

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 People (in the future generations/who have not been born yet) will also serve Yahweh. Our descendants will be told about what Yahweh [has done].

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

31 People who are not yet born, [who will live in future years], will be told how Yahweh rescued his people. People will tell them, “Yahweh did it!”

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