Psalms 22

1 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?

For the leader; set to “Deer of the Dawn”. A psalm of David. My God, my God, why have you left me, my rescue so far from the words of my roaring?

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

I cry in the day, you do not answer, I cry in the night but find no rest.

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

You are the Holy One, throned on the praises of Israel.

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

In you our ancestors trusted, they trusted and you delivered them.

5 They sent up their cry to you and were made free: they put their faith in you and were not put to shame.

They cried to you, and found safety, in you did they trust and were not put to shame.

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

But I am a worm, not a person; insulted by others, despised by the people.

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

All who see me mock me, with mouths wide open and wagging heads:

8 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.

‘He relies on the Lord; let him save him. Let him rescue the one he holds dear!’

9 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.

But you drew me from the womb, laid me safely on my mother’s breasts.

10 I was in your hands even before my birth; you are my God from the time when I was in my mother's body.

On your care was I cast from my very birth, you are my God from my mother’s womb.

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

Be not far from me, for trouble is nigh, and there is none to help.

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

I am circled by many bulls, beset by the mighty of Bashan,

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

who face me with gaping jaws, like ravening roaring lions.

14 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.

Poured out am I like water, and all my bones are loosened. My heart is become like wax, melted within me.

15 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.

My palate is dry as a sherd, my tongue sticks to my jaws; in the dust of death you lay me.

16 Dogs have come round me: I am shut in by the band of evil-doers; they made wounds in my hands and feet.

For dogs are round about me, a band of knaves encircles me, gnawing my hands and my feet.

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

I can count my bones, every one. As for them, they feast their eyes on me.

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

They divide my garments among them, and over my raiment cast lots.

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

But you, O Lord, be not far, O my strength, hasten to help me.

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

Deliver my life from the sword my life from the power of the dogs.

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

Save me from the jaws of the lion, from the horns of the wild oxen help me.

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

I will tell of your fame to my kindred, and in the assembly will praise you.

23 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.

Praise the Lord, you who fear him. All Jacob’s seed, give him glory. All Israel’s seed, stand in awe of him.

24 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.

For he has not despised nor abhorred the sorrow of the sorrowful. He hid not his face from me, but he listened to my cry for help.

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

Of you is my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will pay before those who fear him.

26 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.

The afflicted will eat to their heart’s desire, and those who seek after the Lord will praise him. Lift up your hearts forever.

27 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.

All will call it to mind, to the ends of the earth, and turn to the Lord; and all tribes of the nations will bow down before you.

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

For the kingdom belongs to the Lord: he is the Lord of the nations.

29 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.

To him will bow down all who sleep in the earth, and before him bend all who go down to the dust, and those who could not preserve their lives.

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

My descendants will tell of the Lord to the next generation;

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

they will declare his righteousness to people yet to be born: He has done it.