Psalm 22

New International Version

Psalm 22^[a]

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

¹My 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)
²My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,^(D)
    by night,^(E) but I find no rest.^[b]

³Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;^(F)
    you are the one Israel praises.^[c]^(G)
⁴In you our ancestors put their trust;
    they trusted and you delivered them.^(H)
⁵To you they cried out^(I) and were saved;
    in you they trusted^(J) and were not put to shame.^(K)

⁶But I am a worm^(L) and not a man,
    scorned by everyone,^(M) despised^(N) by the people.
⁷All who see me mock me;^(O)
    they hurl insults,^(P) shaking their heads.^(Q)
⁸“He trusts in the Lord,” they say,
    “let the Lord rescue him.^(R)
Let him deliver him,^(S)
    since he delights^(T) in him.”

⁹Yet you brought me out of the womb;^(U)
you made me trust^(V) in you, even at my mother’s breast.
¹⁰From birth^(W) I was cast on you;
from my mother’s womb you have been my God.

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

¹²Many bulls^(AA) surround me;^(AB)
    strong bulls of Bashan^(AC) encircle me.
¹³Roaring lions^(AD) that tear their prey^(AE)
    open their mouths wide^(AF) against me.
¹⁴I 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.
¹⁵My 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.

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

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

²²I will declare your name to my people;
    in the assembly^(BB) I will praise you.^(BC)
²³You who fear the Lord, praise him!^(BD)
    All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!^(BE)
    Revere him,^(BF) all you descendants of Israel!
²⁴For 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)

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

²⁷All 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)
²⁸for dominion belongs to the Lord^(BQ)
    and he rules over the nations.

²⁹All 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)
³⁰Posterity^(BV) will serve him;
    future generations^(BW) will be told about the Lord.
³¹They will proclaim his righteousness,^(BX)
    declaring to a people yet unborn:^(BY)
    He has done it!^(BZ)

Footnotes

Psalm 22:1 In Hebrew texts 22:1-31 is numbered 22:2-32.
Psalm 22:2 Or night, and am not silent
Psalm 22:3 Or Yet you are holy, / enthroned on the praises of Israel
Psalm 22:15 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text strength
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
Psalm 22:25 Hebrew him

1 Samuel 24:1-25

New International Version

David Spares Saul’s Life

24 ^[a]After Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, “David is in the Desert of En Gedi.^(A)” ²So Saul took three thousand able young men from all Israel and set out to look^(B) for David and his men near the Crags of the Wild Goats.

³He came to the sheep pens along the way; a cave^(C) was there, and Saul went in to relieve^(D) himself. David and his men were far back in the cave. ⁴The men said, “This is the day the Lord spoke^(E) of when he said^[b] to you, ‘I will give your enemy into your hands for you to deal with as you wish.’”^(F) Then David crept up unnoticed and cut^(G) off a corner of Saul’s robe.

⁵Afterward, David was conscience-stricken^(H) for having cut off a corner of his robe. ⁶He said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the Lord’s anointed,^(I) or lay my hand on him; for he is the anointed of the Lord.” ⁷With these words David sharply rebuked his men and did not allow them to attack Saul. And Saul left the cave and went his way.

⁸Then David went out of the cave and called out to Saul, “My lord the king!” When Saul looked behind him, David bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground.^(J) ⁹He said to Saul, “Why do you listen^(K) when men say, ‘David is bent on harming^(L) you’? ¹⁰This day you have seen with your own eyes how the Lord delivered you into my hands in the cave. Some urged me to kill you, but I spared^(M) you; I said, ‘I will not lay my hand on my lord, because he is the Lord’s anointed.’ ¹¹See, my father, look at this piece of your robe in my hand! I cut^(N) off the corner of your robe but did not kill you. See that there is nothing in my hand to indicate that I am guilty^(O) of wrongdoing^(P) or rebellion. I have not wronged^(Q) you, but you are hunting^(R) me down to take my life.^(S) ¹²May the Lord judge^(T) between you and me. And may the Lord avenge^(U) the wrongs you have done to me, but my hand will not touch you. ¹³As the old saying goes, ‘From evildoers come evil deeds,^(V)’ so my hand will not touch you.

¹⁴“Against whom has the king of Israel come out? Who are you pursuing? A dead dog?^(W) A flea?^(X) ¹⁵May the Lord be our judge^(Y) and decide^(Z) between us. May he consider my cause and uphold^(AA) it; may he vindicate^(AB) me by delivering^(AC) me from your hand.”

¹⁶When David finished saying this, Saul asked, “Is that your voice,^(AD) David my son?” And he wept aloud. ¹⁷“You are more righteous than I,”^(AE) he said. “You have treated me well,^(AF) but I have treated you badly.^(AG) ¹⁸You have just now told me about the good you did to me; the Lord delivered^(AH) me into your hands, but you did not kill me. ¹⁹When a man finds his enemy, does he let him get away unharmed? May the Lord reward^(AI) you well for the way you treated me today. ²⁰I know that you will surely be king^(AJ) and that the kingdom^(AK) of Israel will be established in your hands. ²¹Now swear^(AL) to me by the Lord that you will not kill off my descendants or wipe out my name from my father’s family.^(AM)”

²²So David gave his oath to Saul. Then Saul returned home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.^(AN)

David, Nabal and Abigail

25 Now Samuel died,^(AO) and all Israel assembled and mourned^(AP) for him; and they buried him at his home in Ramah.^(AQ) Then David moved down into the Desert of Paran.^[c]

Footnotes

1 Samuel 24:1 In Hebrew texts 24:1-22 is numbered 24:2-23.
1 Samuel 24:4 Or “Today the Lord is saying
1 Samuel 25:1 Hebrew and some Septuagint manuscripts; other Septuagint manuscripts Maon