Psalms - Chapter 22

1<To the chief music-maker on Aijeleth-hash-shahar. A Psalm. Of David.> My God, my God, why are you turned away from me? why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my crying? 2O my God, I make my cry in the day, and you give no answer; and in the night, and have no rest. 3But you are holy, O you who are seated among the praises of Israel. 4Our fathers had faith in you: they had faith and you were their saviour. 5They sent up their cry to you and were made free: they put their faith in you and were not put to shame. 6But I am a worm and not a man; cursed by men, and looked down on by the people. 7I am laughed at by all those who see me: pushing out their lips and shaking their heads they say, 8He put his faith in the Lord; let the Lord be his saviour now: let the Lord be his saviour, because he had delight in him. 9But it was you who took care of me from the day of my birth: you gave me faith even from my mother's breasts. 10I was in your hands even before my birth; you are my God from the time when I was in my mother's body. 11Be not far from me, for trouble is near; there is no one to give help. 12A great herd of oxen is round me: I am shut in by the strong oxen of Bashan. 13I saw their mouths wide open, like lions crying after food. 14I am flowing away like water, and all my bones are out of place: my heart is like wax, it has become soft in my body. 15My throat is dry like a broken vessel; my tongue is fixed to the roof of my mouth, and the dust of death is on my lips. 16Dogs have come round me: I am shut in by the band of evil-doers; they made wounds in my hands and feet. 17I am able to see all my bones; their looks are fixed on me: 18They make a division of my robes among them, by the decision of chance they take my clothing. 19Do not be far from me, O Lord: O my strength, come quickly to my help. 20Make my soul safe from the sword, my life from the power of the dog. 21Be my saviour from the lion's mouth; let me go free from the horns of the cruel oxen. 22I will give the knowledge of your name to my brothers: I will give you praise among the people. 23You who have fear of the Lord, give him praise; all you seed of Jacob, give him glory; go in fear of him, all you seed of Israel. 24For he has not been unmoved by the pain of him who is troubled; or kept his face covered from him; but he has given an answer to his cry. 25My praise will be of you in the great meeting: I will make my offerings before his worshippers. 26The poor will have a feast of good things: those who make search for the Lord will give him praise: your heart will have life for ever. 27All the ends of the earth will keep it in mind and be turned to the Lord: all the families of the nations will give him worship. 28For the kingdom is the Lord's; he is the ruler among the nations. 29All the fat ones of the earth will give him worship; all those who go down to the dust will make themselves low before him, even he who has not enough for the life of his soul. 30A seed will be his servant; the doings of the Lord will be made clear to the generation which comes after. 31They will come and make his righteousness clear to a people of the future because he has done this.