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For the Chief Musician; set to “The Doe of the Morning.” A Psalm by David.

22 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
    Why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?
My God, I cry in the daytime, but you don’t answer;
    in the night season, and am not silent.
But you are holy,
    you who inhabit the praises of Israel.
Our fathers trusted in you.
    They trusted, and you delivered them.
They cried to you, and were delivered.
    They trusted in you, and were not disappointed.
But I am a worm, and no man;
    a reproach of men, and despised by the people.
All those who see me mock me.
    They insult me with their lips. They shake their heads, saying,
    “He trusts in Yahweh.
    Let him deliver him.
    Let him rescue him, since he delights in him.”
But you brought me out of the womb.
    You made me trust while at my mother’s breasts.
10 I was thrown on you from my mother’s womb.
    You are my God since my mother bore me.
11 Don’t be far from me, for trouble is near.
    For there is no one to help.
12 Many bulls have surrounded me.
    Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled me.
13 They open their mouths wide against me,
    lions tearing prey and roaring.
14 I am poured out like water.
    All my bones are out of joint.
My heart is like wax.
    It is melted within me.
15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd.
    My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth.
You have brought me into the dust of death.
16 For dogs have surrounded me.
    A company of evildoers have enclosed me.
    They have pierced my hands and feet.[a]
17 I can count all of my bones.
They look and stare at me.
18 They divide my garments among them.
    They cast lots for my clothing.

19 But don’t be far off, Yahweh.
    You are my help. Hurry to help me!
20 Deliver my soul from the sword,
    my precious life from the power of the dog.
21 Save me from the lion’s mouth!
    Yes, you have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen.

22 I will declare your name to my brothers.
    Among the assembly, I will praise you.
23 You who fear Yahweh, praise him!
    All you descendants of Jacob, glorify him!
    Stand in awe of him, all you descendants of Israel!
24 For he has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted,
    Neither has he hidden his face from him;
    but when he cried to him, he heard.

25 My praise of you comes in the great assembly.
    I will pay my vows before those who fear him.
26 The humble shall eat and be satisfied.
    They shall praise Yahweh who seek after him.
    Let your hearts live forever.
27 All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to Yahweh.
    All the relatives of the nations shall worship before you.
28 For the kingdom is Yahweh’s.
    He is the ruler over the nations.
29 All the rich ones of the earth shall eat and worship.
    All those who go down to the dust shall bow before him,
    even he who can’t keep his soul alive.
30 Posterity shall serve him.
    Future generations shall be told about the Lord.
31 They shall come and shall declare his righteousness to a people that shall be born,
    for he has done it.

Footnotes

  1. 22:16 So Dead Sea Scrolls. Masoretic Text reads, “Like a lion, they pin my hands and feet.”

Psalm 22[a]

To the Chief Musician; set to [the tune of] Aijeleth Hashshahar [the hind of the morning dawn]. A Psalm of David.

My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Why are You so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?(A)

O my God, I cry in the daytime, but You answer not; and by night I am not silent or find no rest.

But You are holy, O You Who dwell in [the holy place where] the praises of Israel [are offered].

Our fathers trusted in You; they trusted (leaned on, relied on You, and were confident) and You delivered them.

They cried to You and were delivered; they trusted in, leaned on, and confidently relied on You, and were not ashamed or confounded or disappointed.

But I am a worm, and no man; I am the scorn of men, and despised by the people.(B)

All who see me laugh at me and mock me; they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,(C)

He trusted and rolled himself on the Lord, that He would deliver him. Let Him deliver him, seeing that He delights in him!(D)

Yet You are He Who took me out of the womb; You made me hope and trust when I was on my mother’s breasts.

10 I was cast upon You from my very birth; 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 [foes like] bulls have surrounded me; strong bulls of Bashan have hedged me in.(E)

13 Against me they opened their mouths wide, 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 softened [with anguish] and melted down within me.

15 My strength is dried up like a fragment of clay pottery; [with thirst] my tongue cleaves to my jaws; and You have brought me into the dust of death.(F)

16 For [like a pack of] dogs they have encompassed me; a company of evildoers has encircled me, they pierced my hands and my feet.(G)

17 I can count all my bones; [the evildoers] gaze at me.(H)

18 They part my clothing among them and cast lots for my raiment (a long, shirtlike garment, a seamless undertunic). (I))

19 But be not far from me, O Lord; O my Help, hasten to aid me!

20 Deliver my life from the sword, my dear life [my only one] from the power of the dog [the agent of execution].

21 Save me from the lion’s mouth; for You have answered me [kindly] from the horns of the wild oxen.

22 I will declare Your name to my brethren; in the midst of the congregation will I praise You.(J)

23 You who fear (revere and worship) the Lord, praise Him! All you offspring of Jacob, glorify Him. Fear (revere and worship) Him, all you offspring of Israel.

24 For He has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither has He hidden His face from him, but when he cried to Him, He heard.

25 My praise shall be of You in the great congregation. I will pay to Him my vows [made in the time of trouble] before them who fear (revere and worship) Him.

26 The poor and afflicted shall eat and be satisfied; they shall praise the Lord—they who [diligently] seek for, inquire of and for Him, and require Him [as their greatest need]. May your hearts be quickened now and forever!

27 All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations shall bow down and worship before You,

28 For the kingship and the kingdom are the Lord’s, and He is the ruler over the nations.

29 All the mighty ones upon earth shall eat [in thanksgiving] and worship; all they that go down to the dust shall bow before Him, even he who cannot keep himself alive.

30 Posterity shall serve Him; they shall tell of the Lord to the next generation.

31 They shall come and shall declare His righteousness to a people yet to be born—that He has done it [that it is finished]!(K)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 22:1 “This is beyond all others ‘The Psalm of the Cross.’ It may have been actually repeated by our Lord when hanging on the tree; it would be too bold to say so, but even a casual reader may see that it might have been. It begins with, ‘My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?’ and ends [with the thought], ‘It is finished.’ For plaintive expressions uprising from unutterable depths of woe, we may say of this psalm, ‘There is none like it’” (Charles Haddon Spurgeon, The Treasury of David). Quoted in the Gospels (Matt. 27:46; Mark 15:34; and alluded to in Matt. 27:35, 39, 43 and John 19:23-24, 28) as being fulfilled at Christ’s crucifixion.