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?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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, a disgrace to humanity and despised by the people.

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

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

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

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

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

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

But you drew me from the womb, laid me safely on 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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 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.

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

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

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

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

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 Yahweh's; he is the ruler over the nations.

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

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

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

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

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