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A Cry of Anguish and a Song of Praise[a]

22 (A)My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
I have cried desperately for help,
    but still it does not come.
During the day I call to you, my God,
    but you do not answer;
I call at night,
    but get no rest.
But you are enthroned as the Holy One,
    the one whom Israel praises.
Our ancestors put their trust in you;
    they trusted you, and you saved them.
They called to you and escaped from danger;
    they trusted you and were not disappointed.

But I am no longer a human being; I am a worm,
    despised and scorned by everyone!
(B)All who see me make fun of me;
    they stick out their tongues and shake their heads.
(C)“You relied on the Lord,” they say.
    “Why doesn't he save you?
If the Lord likes you,
    why doesn't he help you?”

It was you who brought me safely through birth,
    and when I was a baby, you kept me safe.
10 I have relied on you since the day I was born,
    and you have always been my God.
11 Do not stay away from me!
    Trouble is near,
    and there is no one to help.

12 Many enemies surround me like bulls;
    they are all around me,
    like fierce bulls from the land of Bashan.
13 They open their mouths like lions,
    roaring and tearing at me.

14 My strength is gone,
    gone like water spilled on the ground.
All my bones are out of joint;
    my heart is like melted wax.
15 My throat[b] is as dry as dust,
    and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth.
You have left me for dead in the dust.

16 An evil gang is around me;
    like a pack of dogs they close in on me;
    they tear at[c] my hands and feet.
17 All my bones can be seen.
    My enemies look at me and stare.
18 (D)They gamble for my clothes
    and divide them among themselves.

19 O Lord, don't stay away from me!
    Come quickly to my rescue!
20 Save me from the sword;
    save my life from these dogs.
21 Rescue me from these lions;
    I am helpless[d] before these wild bulls.

22 (E)I will tell my people what you have done;
    I will praise you in their assembly:
23 “Praise him, you servants of the Lord!
    Honor him, you descendants of Jacob!
    Worship him, you people of Israel!
24 He does not neglect the poor or ignore their suffering;
    he does not turn away from them,
    but answers when they call for help.”

25 In the full assembly I will praise you for what you have done;
    in the presence of those who worship you
    I will offer the sacrifices I promised.
26 The poor will eat as much as they want;
    those who come to the Lord will praise him.
May they prosper forever!

27 All nations will remember the Lord.
    From every part of the world they will turn to him;
    all races will worship him.
28 The Lord is king,
    and he rules the nations.

29 All proud people will bow down to him;[e]
    all mortals will bow down before him.
30 Future generations will serve him;
    they will speak of the Lord to the coming generation.
31 People not yet born will be told:
    “The Lord saved his people.”

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 22:1 HEBREW TITLE: A psalm by David.
  2. Psalm 22:15 Probable text throat; Hebrew strength.
  3. Psalm 22:16 Some ancient translations they tear at; others they tie; Hebrew like a lion.
  4. Psalm 22:21 Some ancient translations I am helpless; Hebrew you answered me.
  5. Psalm 22:29 Probable text will bow down to him; Hebrew will eat and bow down.

22 (0) For the leader. Set to “Sunrise.” A psalm of David:

(1) My God! My God!
Why have you abandoned me?
Why so far from helping me,
so far from my anguished cries?

(2) My God, by day I call to you,
but you don’t answer;
likewise at night,
but I get no relief.
(3) Nevertheless, you are holy,
enthroned on the praises of Isra’el.
(4) In you our ancestors put their trust;
they trusted, and you rescued them.
(5) They cried to you and escaped;
they trusted in you and were not disappointed.

(6) But I am a worm, not a man,
scorned by everyone, despised by the people.
(7) All who see me jeer at me;
they sneer and shake their heads:
(8) “He committed himself to Adonai,
so let him rescue him!
Let him set him free
if he takes such delight in him!”

10 (9) But you are the one who took me from the womb,
you made me trust when I was on my mother’s breasts.
11 (10) Since my birth I’ve been thrown on you;
you are my God from my mother’s womb.
12 (11) Don’t stay far from me, for trouble is near;
and there is no one to help.
13 (12) Many bulls surround me,
wild bulls of Bashan close in on me.
14 (13) They open their mouths wide against me,
like ravening, roaring lions.
15 (14) I am poured out like water;
all my bones are out of joint;
my heart has become like wax —
it melts inside me;
16 (15) my mouth is as dry as a fragment of a pot,
my tongue sticks to my palate;
you lay me down in the dust of death.
17 (16) Dogs are all around me,
a pack of villains closes in on me
like a lion [at] my hands and feet.[a]

18 (17) I can count every one of my bones,
while they gaze at me and gloat.
19 (18) They divide my garments among themselves;
for my clothing they throw dice.

20 (19) But you, Adonai, don’t stay far away!
My strength, come quickly to help me!
21 (20) Rescue me from the sword,
my life from the power of the dogs.
22 (21) Save me from the lion’s mouth!

You have answered me from the wild bulls’ horns.
23 (22) I will proclaim your name to my kinsmen;
right there in the assembly I will praise you:
24 (23) “You who fear Adonai, praise him!
All descendants of Ya‘akov, glorify him!
All descendants of Isra’el, stand in awe of him!
25 (24) For he has not despised or abhorred
the poverty of the poor;
he did not hide his face from him
but listened to his cry.”

26 (25) Because of you
I give praise in the great assembly;
I will fulfill my vows
in the sight of those who fear him.
27 (26) The poor will eat and be satisfied;
those who seek Adonai will praise him;
Your hearts will enjoy life forever.
28 (27) All the ends of the earth
will remember and turn to Adonai;
all the clans of the nations
will worship in your presence.
29 (28) For the kingdom belongs to Adonai,
and he rules the nations.

30 (29) All who prosper on the earth
will eat and worship;
all who go down to the dust
will kneel before him,
including him who can’t keep himself alive,
31 (30) A descendant will serve him;
the next generation will be told of Adonai.
32 (31) They will come and proclaim
his righteousness
to a people yet unborn,
that he is the one who did it.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 22:17 Or: “They pierced my hands and feet.” See Introduction, Section VIII, paragraph 6, and Section XIV, footnote 70.