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Psalm 22

For the Music Director. To the melody of “The Doe of the Dawn.” A Psalm of David.

My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?
    Why are You so far from delivering me,
    and from my roaring words of distress?
O my God, I cry in the daytime, but You do not answer;
    and at night, but I have no rest.

But You are holy,
    O You who inhabits the praises of Israel.
Our fathers trusted in You;
    they trusted, and You did deliver them.
They cried to You and were delivered;
    they trusted in You and were not put to shame.

But I am a worm, and not a man;
    a reproach of men and despised by the people.
All who see me laugh me to scorn;
    they sneer with the lip, they shake the head, saying,
“Trust in the Lord,
    let Him deliver him;
let Him rescue him,
    seeing He delights in him.”

But You are He who took me out of the womb;
    You caused me to trust
    while I was on my mother’s breasts.
10 I was cast on You from birth;
    You are my God from my mother’s womb.

11 Be not far from me
    for trouble is near,
    for there is none to help.

12 Many bulls encircle me;
    strong bulls of Bashan surround me.
13 They open their mouths against me,
    as a preying and roaring lion.
14 I am poured out like water,
    and all my bones are out of joint;
my heart is like wax;
    it is melted inside my body.
15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd,
    and my tongue cleaves to my jaws;
    and You have set me toward the dust of death.

16 For dogs have encompassed me;
    the assembly of the wicked has enclosed me;
    like a lion they pin my hands and my feet;
17 I can count all my bones;
    they look and stare on me.
18 They part my garments among them
    and cast lots for my clothes.

19 But do not be far from me, O Lord;
    O my Help, hasten to my aid.
20 Rescue my soul from the sword,
    my only life from the power of the dog.
21 Save me from the lion’s mouth,
    and from the horns of the wild ox, answer me!

22 I will declare Your name to my community;
    in the midst of the congregation I will praise You.
23 You who fear the Lord, praise Him;
    all you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him,
    and stand in awe of Him, all you descendants of Israel.
24 For He has not despised nor abhorred
    the affliction of the afflicted;
nor has He hid His face from him;
    but when he cried to Him, He heard.

25 From You my praise will be in the great congregation;
    I will pay my vows before those who fear Him.
26 The meek will eat and be satisfied;
    those who seek Him will praise the Lord.
    May your hearts live forever.

27 All the ends of the world
    will remember and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nations
    will worship before You.
28 For kingship belongs to the Lord,
    and He rules among the nations.

29 All the prosperous ones of the earth will eat and worship;
    all who go down to the dust will bow before Him,
    even he who cannot keep his own soul alive.
30 Posterity will serve Him;
    it will be told to generations about the Lord;
31 they will come and declare His righteousness
    to a people yet to be born,
    that He has acted.

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