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 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?

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 no man; a reproach of men, and the despised of 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,

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

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!”

Commit it to Jehovah — let him rescue him; let him deliver him, because he delighteth 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 thou art he that took me out of the womb; thou didst make me trust, upon 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 cast upon thee from the womb; thou art my God from my mother's belly.

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; for there is none to 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.

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

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].

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

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 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.

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

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.

For dogs have encompassed me; an assembly of evil-doers have surrounded me: they pierced my hands and my 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 may count all my bones. They look, they stare upon me;

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

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

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

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

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

Deliver my soul from the sword; my only one 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]!

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

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

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!

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

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

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 meek shall eat and be satisfied; they shall praise Jehovah that seek him: your heart shall live 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 shall remember and turn unto Jehovah, and all the families of the nations shall worship before thee:

28 Because Yahweh is the king! He rules all the nations.

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

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

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