Psalm 22
Expanded Bible
The Prayer of a Suffering Man
For the director of music. To the tune of “The Doe of Dawn.” A psalm of David.
22 My God, my God, why have you ·abandoned [forsaken] me [Matt. 27:46; Mark 15:34]?
You seem far from ·saving [helping] me,
far away from my groans.
2 My God, I call to you during the day,
but you do not answer.
I call at night;
I ·am not silent [or get no rest].
3 You ·sit as the Holy One [L are holy].
·The praises of Israel are your throne [L You are enthroned on the praises of Israel].
4 Our ·ancestors [fathers] ·trusted [had confidence in] you;
they ·trusted [had confidence], and you ·saved [rescued; T delivered] them.
5 They ·called [cried out] to you for help
and were rescued.
They ·trusted [had confidence in] you
and were not ·disappointed [shamed; humiliated].
6 But I am like a worm instead of ·a man [human].
People ·make fun of [scorn; reproach] me and ·hate [despise] me.
7 Those who look at me ·laugh [ridicule/mock me].
They ·stick out their tongues [throw insults; L open lips] and shake their heads.
8 They say, “·Turn to the Lord for help [L Trust the Lord].
Maybe he will ·save [rescue; T deliver] you.
If he ·likes [delights/takes pleasure in] you,
maybe he will ·rescue [save; T deliver] you.”
9 You ·had my mother give birth to me [L brought me out of the womb].
You made me ·trust [have confidence in] you
while I was ·just a baby [L at the breasts of my mother].
10 ·I have leaned on you since the day I was born [L On you I was cast from the womb];
you have been ·my God [L mine] ·since my mother gave me birth [L from the womb of my mother].
11 So don’t be far away from me.
Now ·trouble [distress] is near,
and there is no one to help.
12 People have surrounded me like ·angry [L many] bulls.
Like the strong bulls of Bashan [Deut. 32:14; Mic. 7:14], they ·are on every side [encircle me].
13 Like ·hungry [rending; L tearing their prey], roaring lions
they open their mouths at me.
14 My strength is gone,
like water poured out onto the ground,
and my bones are out of joint.
My heart is like wax [C weak, formless];
it has melted inside me.
15 My strength has dried up like a ·clay pot [potsherd],
and my tongue sticks to the top of my mouth.
You laid me in the dust of death.
16 Evil people have surrounded me;
like dogs ·they [a group of evil people] have trapped me.
They have ·bitten [pierced; or shriveled] my ·arms [hands] and ·legs [feet].
17 I can count all my bones;
people look and stare at me.
18 They divided my clothes among them,
and they ·threw [cast] lots for my clothing.
19 But, Lord, don’t be far away.
You are my ·strength [or help]; hurry to help me.
20 ·Save [Rescue; T Deliver] me from the sword;
save my life from the dogs.
21 ·Rescue [Save; T Deliver] me from the lion’s mouth;
·save [L answer] me from the horns of the bulls.
22 Then I will ·tell my brothers and sisters about you [L recount your name/reputation to my brothers];
I will praise you in the ·public meeting [assembly; congregation].
23 Praise the Lord, all you who ·respect [fear] him [Prov. 1:7].
All you ·descendants [seed] of Jacob [C Israelites], ·honor [glorify] him;
·fear [revere] him, all you Israelites.
24 He does not ·ignore [despise or disdain] ·those in trouble [L the suffering of the afflicted].
He doesn’t hide his face from them
but listens when they ·call out to him [cry to him for help].
25 Lord, ·I praise you [L from you comes my praise] in the great ·meeting of your people [assembly];
these ·worshipers [L who fear him] will see me ·do what I promised [L fulfill my vows].
26 ·Poor [or Afflicted] people will eat ·until they are full [and be satisfied];
those who ·look to the Lord [L seek him] will praise him.
May your hearts live forever!
27 ·People everywhere [L All the ends of the earth] will remember
and will turn to the Lord.
All the families of the nations
will worship him
28 because ·the Lord is King [rule belongs to the Lord],
and he rules the nations.
29 All the ·powerful people [L fat ones] on earth will eat and worship.
Everyone will ·bow down to [kneel before] him,
all who will ·one day die [L go down to the dust and cannot keep themselves alive].
30 The ·people in the future [posterity; seed] will serve him;
they will always be told about the Lord.
31 They will ·tell that he does what is right [recount his righteousness].
People who are not yet born
will hear what God has done.
Psalm 22
Tree of Life Version
Suffering Servant
Psalm 22
1 For the music director, on “The Doe of the Dawn,” a psalm of David.
2 My God, my God,
why have You forsaken me?
Distant from my salvation
are the words of my groaning.[a]
3 O my God, I cried out by day, but You did not answer,
by night, but there was no rest for me.
4 Yet You are holy,
enthroned on the praises of Israel.
5 In You our fathers put their trust.
They trusted, and You delivered them.
6 They cried to you and were delivered.
In You they trusted, and were not disappointed.
7 Am I a worm, and not a man?
Am I a scorn of men, despised by people?
8 All who see me mock me.
They curl their lips, shaking their heads:
9 “Rely on Adonai! Let Him deliver him!
Let Him rescue him—since he delights in Him!”[b]
10 Yet You brought me out of the womb,
made me secure at my mother’s breasts.
11 From the womb I was cast on You—
from my mother’s womb You have been my God.
12 Be not far from me!
For trouble is near—
there is no one to help.
13 Many bulls have surrounded me.
Strong bulls of Bashan encircled me.
14 They open wide their mouths against me,
like a tearing, roaring lion.
15 I am poured out like water,
and all my bones are disjointed.
My heart is like wax—
melting within my innards.
16 My strength is dried up like a clay pot,
my tongue clings to my jaws.
You lay me in the dust of death.
17 For dogs have surrounded me.
A band of evildoers has closed in on me.
They pierced[c] my hands and my feet.
18 I can count all my bones.
They stare, they gape at me.
19 They divide my clothes among them,
and cast lots for my garment.[d]
20 But You, Adonai, be not far off!
O my strength! Come quickly to my aid!
21 Deliver my soul from the sword—
my only one from the power of the dog.
22 Save me from the lion’s mouth.
From the horns of the wild oxen rescue me.
23 I will declare Your Name to my brothers.
I will praise You amid the congregation.[e]
24 You who fear Adonai, praise Him!
All Jacob’s descendants, glorify Him!
Revere Him, all you seed of Israel.
25 For He has not despised or disdained the suffering of the lowly one.
Nor has He hidden His face from him,
but when he cried to Him, He heard.
26 From You is my praise in the great assembly.
I will fulfill my vows before those who fear Him.
27 Let the poor eat and be satisfied.
Let them who seek after Him praise Adonai.
May your hearts live forever!
28 All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to Adonai.
All the families of the nations will bow down before You.
29 For the kingdom belongs to Adonai,
and He rules over the nations.
30 All the rich of the earth will feast and worship.
Everyone who goes down to the dust will kneel before Him—
even the one who could not keep his own soul alive.
31 His posterity will serve him, telling
the next generation about my Lord.
32 They will come and declare His righteousness
to a people yet to be born—
because He has done it!
Footnotes
- Psalm 22:2 cf. Matt. 27:46; Mark 15:34.
- Psalm 22:9 cf. Matt. 27:43.
- Psalm 22:17 Or, is like a lion.
- Psalm 22:19 cf. Matt. 27:35; Mark 15:24; Luke 23:34; John 19:24.
- Psalm 22:23 cf. Heb. 2:12.
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.