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For the director of music. A psalm of David to the tune of “The Doe of the Morning.”

22 My God, my God, why have you deserted me?
    Why do you seem so far away when I need you to save me?
    Why do you seem so far away that you can’t hear my groans?
My God, I cry out in the daytime. But you don’t answer.
    I cry out at night. But you don’t let me sleep.

But you rule from your throne as the Holy One.
    You are the God Israel praises.
Our people of long ago put their trust in you.
    They trusted in you, and you saved them.
They cried out to you and were saved.
    They trusted in you, and you didn’t let them down.

Everyone treats me like a worm and not a man.
    They hate me and look down on me.
All those who see me laugh at me.
    They shout at me and make fun of me.
    They shake their heads at me.
They say, “He trusts in the Lord.
    Let the Lord help him.
If the Lord is pleased with him,
    let him save him.”

But you brought me out of my mother’s body.
    You made me trust in you
    even when I was at my mother’s breast.
10 From the time I was born, you took good care of me.
    Ever since I came out of my mother’s body, you have been my God.
11 Don’t be far away from me.
    Trouble is near,
    and there is no one to help me.

12 Many enemies are all around me.
    They are like strong bulls from the land of Bashan.
13 They are like roaring lions that tear to pieces what they kill.
    They open their mouths wide to attack me.
14 My strength is like water that is poured out on the ground.
    I feel as if my bones aren’t connected.
My heart has turned to wax.
    It has melted away inside me.
15 My mouth is dried up like a piece of broken pottery.
    My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth.
    You bring me down to the edge of the grave.
16 A group of sinful people has closed in on me.
    They are all around me like a pack of dogs.
    They have pierced my hands and my feet.
17 Everyone can see all my bones right through my skin.
    People stare at me. They laugh when I suffer.
18 They divide up my clothes among them.
    They cast lots for what I am wearing.

19 Lord, don’t be so far away from me.
    You give me strength. Come quickly to help me.
20 Save me from being killed by the sword.
    Save the only life I have. Save me from the power of those dogs.
21 Save me from the mouths of those lions.
    Save me from the horns of those wild oxen.

22 I will announce your name to my people.
    I will praise you among those who are gathered to worship you.
23 You who have respect for the Lord, praise him!
    All you people of Jacob, honor him!
    All you people of Israel, worship him!
24 He has not forgotten the one who is hurting.
    He has not turned away from his suffering.
He has not turned his face away from him.
    He has listened to his cry for help.

25 Because of what you have done,
    I will praise you in the whole community of those who worship you.
In front of those who respect you,
    I will keep my promises.
26 Those who are poor will eat and be satisfied.
    Those who seek the Lord will praise him.
    May their hearts be filled with new hope!
27 People from one end of the earth to the other
    will remember and turn to the Lord.
The people of all the nations
    will bow down in front of him.
28 The Lord is King.
    He rules over the nations.

29 All rich people of the earth will feast and worship God.
    All who go down to the grave will kneel in front of him.
    Those who cannot keep themselves alive will kneel.
30 Those who are not yet born will serve him.
    Those who are born later will be told about the Lord.
31 And they will tell people who have not yet been born,
    “The Lord has done what is right!”

Psalm 22[a]

For the director of music. To the tune of “The Doe of the Morning.” A psalm of David.

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?(A)
    Why are you so far(B) from saving me,
    so far from my cries of anguish?(C)
My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,(D)
    by night,(E) but I find no rest.[b]

Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;(F)
    you are the one Israel praises.[c](G)
In you our ancestors put their trust;
    they trusted and you delivered them.(H)
To you they cried out(I) and were saved;
    in you they trusted(J) and were not put to shame.(K)

But I am a worm(L) and not a man,
    scorned by everyone,(M) despised(N) by the people.
All who see me mock me;(O)
    they hurl insults,(P) shaking their heads.(Q)
“He trusts in the Lord,” they say,
    “let the Lord rescue him.(R)
Let him deliver him,(S)
    since he delights(T) in him.”

Yet you brought me out of the womb;(U)
    you made me trust(V) in you, even at my mother’s breast.
10 From birth(W) I was cast on you;
    from my mother’s womb you have been my God.

11 Do not be far from me,(X)
    for trouble is near(Y)
    and there is no one to help.(Z)

12 Many bulls(AA) surround me;(AB)
    strong bulls of Bashan(AC) encircle me.
13 Roaring lions(AD) that tear their prey(AE)
    open their mouths wide(AF) against me.
14 I am poured out like water,
    and all my bones are out of joint.(AG)
My heart has turned to wax;(AH)
    it has melted(AI) within me.
15 My mouth[d] is dried up like a potsherd,(AJ)
    and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth;(AK)
    you lay me in the dust(AL) of death.

16 Dogs(AM) surround me,
    a pack of villains encircles me;
    they pierce[e](AN) my hands and my feet.
17 All my bones are on display;
    people stare(AO) and gloat over me.(AP)
18 They divide my clothes among them
    and cast lots(AQ) for my garment.(AR)

19 But you, Lord, do not be far from me.(AS)
    You are my strength;(AT) come quickly(AU) to help me.(AV)
20 Deliver me from the sword,(AW)
    my precious life(AX) from the power of the dogs.(AY)
21 Rescue me from the mouth of the lions;(AZ)
    save me from the horns of the wild oxen.(BA)

22 I will declare your name to my people;
    in the assembly(BB) I will praise you.(BC)
23 You who fear the Lord, praise him!(BD)
    All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!(BE)
    Revere him,(BF) all you descendants of Israel!
24 For he has not despised(BG) or scorned
    the suffering of the afflicted one;(BH)
he has not hidden his face(BI) from him
    but has listened to his cry for help.(BJ)

25 From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly;(BK)
    before those who fear you[f] I will fulfill my vows.(BL)
26 The poor will eat(BM) and be satisfied;
    those who seek the Lord will praise him—(BN)
    may your hearts live forever!

27 All the ends of the earth(BO)
    will remember and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nations
    will bow down before him,(BP)
28 for dominion belongs to the Lord(BQ)
    and he rules over the nations.

29 All the rich(BR) of the earth will feast and worship;(BS)
    all who go down to the dust(BT) will kneel before him—
    those who cannot keep themselves alive.(BU)
30 Posterity(BV) will serve him;
    future generations(BW) will be told about the Lord.
31 They will proclaim his righteousness,(BX)
    declaring to a people yet unborn:(BY)
    He has done it!(BZ)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 22:1 In Hebrew texts 22:1-31 is numbered 22:2-32.
  2. Psalm 22:2 Or night, and am not silent
  3. Psalm 22:3 Or Yet you are holy, / enthroned on the praises of Israel
  4. Psalm 22:15 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text strength
  5. Psalm 22:16 Dead Sea Scrolls and some manuscripts of the Masoretic Text, Septuagint and Syriac; most manuscripts of the Masoretic Text me, / like a lion
  6. Psalm 22:25 Hebrew him