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 so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?

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 in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent.

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 thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest 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 deliver them.

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

5 They cried to thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded.

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 no man; a reproach of men, and despised by the people.

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

7 All they that see me mock me: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,

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

8 He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing 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 But thou art he that brought me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon 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 I was cast upon thee from my birth: thou art my God from my mother’s womb.

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 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 have surrounded me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me all round.

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

13 They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a 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 like wax; it is melted within me.

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 a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into 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: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced 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 may number all my bones: they look and stare upon me.

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

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

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, haste thee to help me.

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

20 Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling 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: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns.

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

22 I will declare 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 Ye that fear the LORD, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed 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 affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried to 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 meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek him: your heart shall live for 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 world shall remember and turn to the LORD: and all the kindreds 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 the LORD’S: and he is the governor among the nations.

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

29 All the prosperous of the earth shall eat and worship: all they that go down to the dust shall bow before him: and none can keep alive his own soul.

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

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 shall declare his righteousness to a people that shall be born, that he hath done this.

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