Psalm 22

For the Chief Musician; set to “The Doe of the Morning.” A Psalm by 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? My God, I cry by day, but you don’t answer; by night, I 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, not a man; a reproach of everyone, 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 YHWH. Let ʜɪᴍ deliver him. Let him rescue ʜɪᴍ, since he delights in ʜɪᴍ.” But you brought me out of the womb. You made me secure, even at my mother’s breasts. I was thrown on you from my mother’s womb. You are my God since my mother bore me. Don’t be far from me, for trouble is near. For there is no one to help. Many bulls have surrounded me. Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled me. They open their mouths wide against me, lions tearing prey and roaring. I am poured out like water. All my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax. It is melted within me. 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. For dogs have surrounded me. A company of evildoers have enclosed me. They have pierced my hands and feet.+22:16 So Dead Sea Scrolls. Masoretic Text reads, “Like a lion, they pin my hands and feet.” I can count all of my bones. They look and stare at me. They divide my garments among them. They cast lots for my clothing.

 

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

 

I will declare your name to my brothers. Among the assembly, I will praise you. Those who fear YHWH, y’all praise him! All descendants of Jacob, y’all glorify him! Y’all stand in awe of him, all descendants of Israel! For ʜᴇ has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, neither has ʜᴇ hidden ʜɪꜱ face from ʜɪᴍ; but when ʜᴇ cried to ʜɪᴍ, ʜᴇ heard.

 

My praise of you comes in the great assembly. I will pay my vows before those who fear ʜɪᴍ. The poor will eat and be satisfied. They will praise YHWH who seek after ʜɪᴍ. May y’all’s hearts live forever. All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to YHWH. All the relatives of the nations will worship before you. For the kingdom is YHWH’s. Hᴇ is the ruler over the nations. All the rich of the earth will eat and worship. All those who go down to the dust will bow before ʜɪᴍ, even those who can’t preserve their soul. Their descendants will serve ʜɪᴍ. Future generations will be told about the Lord. They will come and declare ʜɪꜱ righteousness to a people that will be born, for ʜᴇ has done it.