A Cry of Anguish and a Song of Praise.

For the music director; upon [a]Aijeleth Hashshahar. A Psalm of David.

22 (A)My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?
(B)Far from my [b]help are the words of my [c](C)groaning.
My God, I (D)cry out by day, but You do not answer;
And by night, but [d]I have no rest.
Yet (E)You are holy,
You who [e]are 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 they fled to safety;
(I)In You they trusted and were not [f]disappointed.

But I am a (J)worm and not a person,
A (K)disgrace of mankind and (L)despised by the people.
All who see me (M)deride me;
They [g]sneer, they (N)shake their heads, saying,
[h]Turn [i]him over to the Lord; (O)let Him save him;
Let Him rescue him, because He delights in him.”

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

11 (R)Do not be far from me, for [k]trouble is near;
For there is (S)no one to help.
12 Many (T)bulls have surrounded me;
Strong bulls of (U)Bashan have encircled me.
13 They (V)open their mouths wide at me,
As a ravening and roaring (W)lion.
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 [l]me.
15 My (AA)strength is dried up like a piece of pottery,
And (AB)my tongue clings to my jaws;
And You (AC)lay me [m]in the dust of death.
16 For (AD)dogs have surrounded me;
[n]A band of evildoers has encompassed me;
[o]They (AE)pierced my hands and my feet.
17 I can count all my bones.
(AF)They look, they stare at me;
18 They (AG)divide my garments among them,
And they cast lots for my clothing.

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 22 Title Lit the doe of the morning
  2. Psalm 22:1 Or deliverance
  3. Psalm 22:1 Lit screaming
  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 Lit open with the lip
  8. Psalm 22:8 Lit Roll...away to
  9. Psalm 22:8 Or it
  10. Psalm 22:10 Lit a womb
  11. Psalm 22:11 Or distress
  12. Psalm 22:14 Lit my inward parts
  13. Psalm 22:15 Lit to
  14. Psalm 22:16 Or An assembly
  15. Psalm 22:16 Another reading is Like a lion, my...

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.

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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.