Psalms 22

¹ To the choirmaster: according to The Hind of the Dawn. A Psalm of David. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Why art thou so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning?

² O my God, I cry by day, but thou dost not answer; and by night, but find no rest.

³ Yet thou art holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.

⁴ In thee our fathers trusted; they trusted, and thou didst deliver them.

⁵ To thee they cried, and were saved; in thee they trusted, and were not disappointed.

⁶ But I am a worm, and no man; scorned by men, and despised by the people.

⁷ All who see me mock at me, they make mouths at me, they wag their heads;

⁸ "He committed his cause to the LORD; let him deliver him, let him rescue him, for he delights in him!"

⁹ Yet thou art he who took me from the womb; thou didst keep me safe upon my mother's breasts.

¹⁰ Upon thee was I cast from my birth, and since my mother bore me thou hast been my God.

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

¹² Many bulls encompass me, strong bulls of Bashan surround me;

¹³ they open wide their mouths at me, like a ravening 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 within my breast;

¹⁵ my strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue cleaves to my jaws; thou dost lay me in the dust of death.

¹⁶ Yea, dogs are round about me; a company of evildoers encircle me; they have pierced my hands and feet--

¹⁷ I can count all my bones-- they stare and gloat over me;

¹⁸ they divide my garments among them, and for my raiment they cast lots.

¹⁹ But thou, O LORD, be not far off! O thou my help, hasten to my aid!

²⁰ Deliver my soul from the sword, my life from the power of the dog!

²¹ Save me from the mouth of the lion, my afflicted soul from the horns of the wild oxen!

²² I will tell of thy name to my brethren; in the midst of the congregation I will praise thee:

²³ You who fear the LORD, praise him! all you sons of Jacob, glorify him, and stand in awe of him, all you sons of Israel!

²⁴ For he has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; and he has not hid his face from him, but has heard, when he cried to him.

²⁵ From thee comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will pay before those who fear him.

²⁶ The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the LORD! May your hearts live for ever!

²⁷ All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD; and all the families of the nations shall worship before him.

²⁸ For dominion belongs to the LORD, and he rules over the nations.

²⁹ Yea, to him shall all the proud of the earth bow down; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, and he who cannot keep himself alive.

³⁰ Posterity shall serve him; men shall tell of the Lord to the coming generation,

³¹ and proclaim his deliverance to a people yet unborn, that he has wrought it.