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Psalm 22

For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be sung to the tune “Doe of the Dawn.”

My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
    Why are you so far away when I groan for help?
Every day I call to you, my God, but you do not answer.
    Every night I lift my voice, but I find no relief.

Yet you are holy,
    enthroned on the praises of Israel.
Our ancestors trusted in you,
    and you rescued them.
They cried out to you and were saved.
    They trusted in you and were never disgraced.

But I am a worm and not a man.
    I am scorned and despised by all!
Everyone who sees me mocks me.
    They sneer and shake their heads, saying,
“Is this the one who relies on the Lord?
    Then let the Lord save him!
If the Lord loves him so much,
    let the Lord rescue him!”

Yet you brought me safely from my mother’s womb
    and led me to trust you at my mother’s breast.
10 I was thrust into your arms at my birth.
    You have been my God from the moment I was born.

11 Do not stay so far from me,
    for trouble is near,
    and no one else can help me.
12 My enemies surround me like a herd of bulls;
    fierce bulls of Bashan have hemmed me in!
13 Like lions they open their jaws against me,
    roaring and tearing into their prey.
14 My life is poured out like water,
    and all my bones are out of joint.
My heart is like wax,
    melting within me.
15 My strength has dried up like sunbaked clay.
    My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth.
    You have laid me in the dust and left me for dead.
16 My enemies surround me like a pack of dogs;
    an evil gang closes in on me.
    They have pierced[a] my hands and feet.
17 I can count all my bones.
    My enemies stare at me and gloat.
18 They divide my garments among themselves
    and throw dice[b] for my clothing.

19 O Lord, do not stay far away!
    You are my strength; come quickly to my aid!
20 Save me from the sword;
    spare my precious life from these dogs.
21 Snatch me from the lion’s jaws
    and from the horns of these wild oxen.

22 I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters.[c]
    I will praise you among your assembled people.
23 Praise the Lord, all you who fear him!
    Honor him, all you descendants of Jacob!
    Show him reverence, all you descendants of Israel!
24 For he has not ignored or belittled the suffering of the needy.
    He has not turned his back on them,
    but has listened to their cries for help.

25 I will praise you in the great assembly.
    I will fulfill my vows in the presence of those who worship you.
26 The poor will eat and be satisfied.
    All who seek the Lord will praise him.
    Their hearts will rejoice with everlasting joy.
27 The whole earth will acknowledge the Lord and return to him.
    All the families of the nations will bow down before him.
28 For royal power belongs to the Lord.
    He rules all the nations.

29 Let the rich of the earth feast and worship.
    Bow before him, all who are mortal,
    all whose lives will end as dust.
30 Our children will also serve him.
    Future generations will hear about the wonders of the Lord.
31 His righteous acts will be told to those not yet born.
    They will hear about everything he has done.

Footnotes

  1. 22:16 As in some Hebrew manuscripts and Greek and Syriac versions; most Hebrew manuscripts read They are like a lion at.
  2. 22:18 Hebrew cast lots.
  3. 22:22 Hebrew my brothers.

Why Have You Forsaken Me?

For the choir director. According to [a]Aijeleth Hashshahar. A Psalm of David.

22 (A)My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?
[b](B)Far from my salvation are the words of my [c](C)groaning.
O my God, I (D)call by day, but You do not answer;
And by night, but [d]I have no rest.
Yet (E)You are holy,
[e]Enthroned upon (F)the praises of Israel.
In You our fathers (G)trusted;
They trusted and You (H)rescued them.
To You they cried out and were granted escape;
(I)In You they trusted and were not [f]disappointed.

But I am a (J)worm and not a man,
A (K)reproach of men and (L)despised by the people.
All who see me (M)mock me;
They [g]smack their lip, they (N)wag their head, saying,
[h]Commit yourself to Yahweh; (O)let Him rescue him;
Let Him deliver him, because He delights in him.”

Yet You are He who (P)brought me out of the womb;
You made me trust when upon my mother’s breasts.
10 Upon You I was cast (Q)from [i]birth;
You have been my God from my mother’s womb.

11 (R)Be not far from me, for [j]distress is near;
For there is (S)none to help.
12 Many (T)bulls have surrounded me;
Strong bulls of (U)Bashan have encircled me.
13 They (V)open wide their mouth at me,
As a (W)lion that tears and roars.
14 I am (X)poured out like water,
And all my (Y)bones are out of joint;
My (Z)heart is like wax;
It is melted within [k]me.
15 My (AA)strength is dried up like a potsherd,
And (AB)my tongue cleaves to my jaws;
And You (AC)lay me [l]in the dust of death.
16 For (AD)dogs have surrounded me;
[m]A band of evildoers has encompassed me;
[n]They (AE)pierced my hands and my feet.
17 I count all my bones.
(AF)They look, they stare at me;
18 They (AG)divide my garments among them,
And for my clothing they cast lots.

19 But You, O Yahweh, (AH)be not far off;
O my Strength, (AI)hasten to my help.
20 Deliver my [o]soul from (AJ)the sword,
My (AK)only life from the [p]power of the dog.
21 Save me from the mouth of the (AL)lion;
From the horns of the (AM)wild oxen You (AN)have answered me.

22 I will surely (AO)recount Your name to my brothers;
In the midst of the assembly I will praise You.
23 (AP)You who fear Yahweh, praise Him;
All you seed of Jacob, (AQ)glorify Him,
And (AR)stand in awe of Him, all you seed of Israel.
24 For He has (AS)not despised and He has not abhorred the affliction of the afflicted;
And He has not (AT)hidden His face from him;
But (AU)when he cried to Him for help, He heard.

25 Of You is (AV)my praise in the great assembly;
I shall (AW)pay my vows before those who fear Him.
26 The [q]afflicted will eat and (AX)be satisfied;
Those who seek Him will (AY)praise Yahweh.
May your (AZ)heart live forever!
27 All the (BA)ends of the earth will remember and turn to Yahweh,
And all the (BB)families of the nations will worship before [r]You.
28 For the (BC)kingdom is Yahweh’s
And He (BD)rules over the nations.
29 All the [s](BE)prosperous of the earth will eat and worship,
All those who (BF)go down to the dust will bow before Him,
Even he who [t](BG)cannot keep his soul alive.
30 (BH)Their seed will serve Him;
It will be recounted about the Lord to (BI)the coming generation.
31 They will come and (BJ)will declare His righteousness
To a people (BK)who will be born, that He has done it.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 22 Title Lit The Doe of the Dawn; possibly a title for a tune
  2. Psalm 22:1 Or Why are You so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?
  3. Psalm 22:1 Lit roaring
  4. Psalm 22:2 Lit there is no silence for me
  5. Psalm 22:3 Or Inhabit the praises
  6. Psalm 22:5 Or ashamed
  7. Psalm 22:7 Make clicking sounds; lit separate the lip
  8. Psalm 22:8 Or He committed himself; lit Roll
  9. Psalm 22:10 Lit a womb
  10. Psalm 22:11 Or trouble
  11. Psalm 22:14 Lit my inward parts
  12. Psalm 22:15 Lit to
  13. Psalm 22:16 Or An assembly
  14. Psalm 22:16 Or Like a lion, my...
  15. Psalm 22:20 Or life
  16. Psalm 22:20 Lit paw
  17. Psalm 22:26 Or poor
  18. Psalm 22:27 Some versions Him
  19. Psalm 22:29 Lit fat ones
  20. Psalm 22:29 Or did not