Psalms 22:1-31

  • From despair to praise

    • “My God, why have you forsaken me?” (1)

    • “They cast lots for my clothing” (18)

    • Praising God in the congregation (22,25)

    • The whole earth to worship God (27)

To the director; set to “The Doe of the Dawn.”* A melody of David. 22  My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?+ Why are you far from saving me,Far from my cries of anguish?+  2  My God, I keep calling by day, and you do not answer;+And by night there is no silence on my part.  3  But you are holy,+Surrounded by* the praises of Israel.  4  In you our fathers put their trust;+They trusted, and you kept rescuing them.+  5  To you they cried out, and they were saved;They trusted in you, and they were not disappointed.*+  6  But I am a worm and not a man,Scorned by* men and despised by the people.+  7  All those seeing me mock me;+They sneer and shake their heads in derision:+  8  “He entrusted himself to Jehovah. Let Him rescue him! Let Him save him, for he is so dear to Him!”+  9  You were the One who brought me out of the womb,+The One who made me feel secure on my mother’s breasts. 10  I have been entrusted to your care* from birth;From my mother’s womb, you have been my God. 11  Do not stay far off from me, for trouble is near+And I have no other helper.+ 12  Many young bulls surround me;+Powerful bulls of Baʹshan encircle me.+ 13  They open their mouth wide against me,+Like a roaring lion that tears its prey to pieces.+ 14  I am poured out like water;All my bones are out of joint. My heart has become like wax;+It melts deep within me.+ 15  My strength has dried up like a piece of pottery;+My tongue sticks to my gums;+You are bringing me down to the dust of death.+ 16  For dogs surround me;+They close in on me like a pack of evildoers,+Like a lion they are at my hands and feet.+ 17  I can count all my bones.+ They look on and stare at me. 18  They divide my garments among themselves,And they cast lots for my clothing.+ 19  But you, O Jehovah, do not remain far away.+ You are my strength; hurry to help me.+ 20  Save me* from the sword,My precious life* from the paws* of dogs;+ 21  Save me from the mouth of the lion+ and the horns of wild bulls;Answer and save me. 22  I will declare your name to my brothers;+In the midst of the congregation I will praise you.+ 23  You who fear Jehovah, praise him! All you offspring* of Jacob, glorify him!+ Stand in awe of him, all you offspring* of Israel. 24  For he has not despised nor loathed the suffering of the oppressed one;+He has not hidden his face from him.+ When he cried to him for help, he heard.+ 25  I will praise you in the large congregation;+I will pay my vows before those who fear him. 26  The meek will eat and be satisfied;+Those seeking Jehovah will praise him.+ May you enjoy life* forever. 27  All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to Jehovah. All the families of the nations will bow down before you.+ 28  For the kingship belongs to Jehovah;+He rules over the nations. 29  All the prosperous ones* of the earth will eat and will bow down;All those going down to the dust will kneel before him;None of them can preserve their lives.* 30  Their descendants* will serve him;The generation to come will be told about Jehovah. 31  They will come and tell of his righteousness. They will tell the people yet to be born what he has done.

Footnotes

Possibly a tune or a musical style.
Or “Enthroned among (upon).”
Or “were not put to shame.”
Or “A reproach to.”
Lit., “thrown upon you.”
Or “my soul.”
Lit., “My only one,” referring to his soul, or life.
Lit., “hand.”
Lit., “seed.”
Lit., “seed.”
Lit., “May your heart live.”
Lit., “fat ones.”
Or “souls.”
Lit., “A seed.”