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 unto 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 of 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 laugh me to scorn: 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 took 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 the womb: thou [art] my God from my mother’s belly.

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 compassed me: strong [bulls] of Bashan have beset me 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 in the midst of my bowels.

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 compassed 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 tell 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 unto 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 unto 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 unto 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 [they that be] fat upon 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 unto 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.