Psalms 22

1 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?

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?

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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).

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

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.

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

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,

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

“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!”

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

[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).

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

[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.

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

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.

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

[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.

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

[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].

14 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.

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.

15 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.

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!

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

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.

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

[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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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]!

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

[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].

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

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!

24 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.

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.

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

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.

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

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!

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

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.

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

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

29 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.

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].

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

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].

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

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!”