Psalm 22

Why Have You Forsaken Me?

To the choirmaster: according to The Doe of the Dawn. A Psalm of David.

1  My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?
2  O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer,
and by night, but I find no rest.

3  Yet you are holy,
enthroned on the praisest of Israel.
4  In you our fathers trusted;
they trusted, and you delivered them.
5  To you they cried and were rescued;
in you they trusted and were not put to shame.

6  But I am a worm and not a man,
scorned by mankind and despised by the people.
7  All who see me mock me;
they make mouths at me; they wag their heads;
8  "He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him;
let him rescue him, for he delights in him!"

9  Yet you are he who took me from the womb;
you made me trust you at my mother's breasts.
10  On you was I cast from my birth,
and from my mother's womb you have 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 sticks to my jaws;
you lay me in the dust of death.

16  For dogs encompass me;
a company of evildoers encircles me;
they have pierced my hands and feett—
17  I can count all my bones—
they stare and gloat over me;
18  they divide my garments among them,
and for my clothing they cast lots.

19  But you, O Lord, do not be far off!
O you my help, come quickly to my aid!
20  Deliver my soul from the sword,
my precious life from the power of the dog!
21  Save me from the mouth of the lion!
You have rescuedt me from the horns of the wild oxen!

22  I will tell of your name to my brothers;
in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:
23  You who fear the Lord, praise him!
All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him,
and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!
24  For he has not despised or abhorred
the affliction of the afflicted,
and he has not hidden his face from him,
but has heard, when he cried to him.

25  From you comes my praise in the great congregation;
my vows I will perform before those who fear him.
26  The afflictedt shall eat and be satisfied;
those who seek him shall praise the Lord!
May your hearts live forever!

27  All the ends of the earth shall remember
and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nations
shall worship before you.
28  For kingship belongs to the Lord,
and he rules over the nations.

29  All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship;
before him shall bow all who go down to the dust,
even the one who could not keep himself alive.
30  Posterity shall serve him;
it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation;
31  they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn,
that he has done it.

Psalms 22

Suffering and praise

1 My God, my God, why have yout
deserted me?
Why are you so far away?
Won't you listen to my groans
and come to my rescue?

2 I cry out day and night,
but you don't answer,
and I can never rest.

3 Yet you are the holy God,
ruling from your throne
and praised by Israel.

4 Our ancestors trusted you,
and you rescued them.

5 When they cried out for help,
you saved them,
and you did not let them down
when they depended on you.

6 But I am merely a worm,
far less than human,
and I am hated and rejected
by people everywhere.

7 Everyone who sees met
makes fun and sneers.
They shake their heads,

8 and say, “Trust the Lord!t
If you are his favourite,
let him protect you
and keep you safe.”

9 You, Lord, brought me
safely through birth,
and you protected me
when I was a baby
at my mother's breast.

10 From the day I was born,
I have been in your care,
and from the time of my birth,
you have been my God.

11 Don't stay far off
when I am in trouble
with no one to help me.

12 Enemies are all around
like a herd of wild bulls.
Powerful bulls from Bashant
are everywhere.

13 My enemies are like lions
roaring and attacking
with jaws open wide.

14 I have no more strength
than a few drops of water.
All my bones are out of joint;
my heart is like melted wax.

15 My strength has dried up
like a broken clay pot,
and my tongue sticks
to the roof of my mouth.
You, God, have left me
to die in the dust.

16 Brutal enemies attack me
like a pack of dogs,
tearing att my hands
and my feet.

17 I can count all my bones,
and my enemies just stare
and sneer at me.

18 They took my clothest
and gambled for them.

19 Don't stay far away, Lord!
My strength comes from you,
so hurry and help.

20 Rescue me from enemy swords
and save me from those dogs.

21 Don't let lions eat me.
You rescued me from the horns
of wild bulls,

22 and when your people meet,t
I will praise you, Lord.

23 All who worship the Lord,
now praise him!
You belong to Jacob's family
and to the people of Israel,
so fear and honour the Lord!

24 The Lord doesn't hate
or despise the helpless
in all their troubles.
When I cried out, he listened
and did not turn away.

25 When your people meet,
you will fill my heart
with your praises, Lord,
and everyone will see me
keep my promises to you.

26 The poor will eat and be full,
and all who worship you
will be thankful
and live in hope.

27 Everyone on this earth
will remember you, Lord.
People all over the world
will turn and worship you,

28 because you are in control,
the ruler of all nations.

29 All who are rich
and have more than enough
will bow down to you, Lord.
Even those who are dying
and almost in the grave
will come and bow down.

30 In the future, everyone
will worship and learn
about you, our Lord.

31 People not yet born
will be told,
“The Lord has saved us!”