Psalm 22
From Suffering to Praise
For the choir director: according to “The Deer of the Dawn.” A psalm of David.
1 My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? u
Why are you so far from my deliverance v
and from my words of groaning? w
2 My God, I cry by day, but you do not answer,
by night, yet I have no rest. x
enthroned on the praises of Israel. y
they trusted, and you rescued them. z
5 They cried to you and were set free;
they trusted in you and were not disgraced. a
6 But I am a worm and not a man, b
scorned by mankind and despised by people. c
7 Everyone who sees me mocks me;
they sneer S and shake their heads: d
8 “He relies on T the LORD;
let him save him;
let the LORD U rescue him,
since he takes pleasure in him.” e
9 It was you who brought me out of the womb,
making me secure at my mother’s breast. f
10 I was given over to you at birth; V
you have been my God from my mother’s womb. g
11 Don’t be far from me, because distress is near
and there’s no one to help. h
strong ones of Bashan encircle me. i
13 They open their mouths against me—
lions, mauling and roaring. j
14 I am poured out like water, k
and all my bones are disjointed; l
my heart is like wax,
melting within me. m
15 My strength is dried up like baked clay; n
my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. o
You put me into the dust of death. p
16 For dogs have surrounded me; q
a gang of evildoers has closed in on me;
they pierced W my hands and my feet. r
people X look and stare at me. s
18 They divided my garments among themselves,
and they cast lots for my clothing. t
19 But you, LORD, don’t be far away. u
My strength, come quickly to help me. v
20 Rescue my life from the sword, w
my only life Y from the power of these dogs.
21 Save me from the lion’s mouth, x
from the horns of wild oxen.
You answered me! Z
22 I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters;
I will praise you in the assembly. y
23 You who fear the LORD, praise him! z
All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!
All you descendants of Israel, revere him! a
24 For he has not despised or abhorred
the torment of the oppressed. b
He did not hide his face from him c
but listened when he cried to him for help. d
25 I will give praise in the great assembly
because of you; e
I will fulfill my vows
before those who fear you. A,f
26 The humble will eat and be satisfied; g
those who seek the LORD will praise him.
May your hearts live forever! h
27 All the ends of the earth will remember
and turn to the LORD.
All the families of the nations
will bow down before you, i
28 for kingship belongs to the LORD;
he rules the nations. j
29 All who prosper on earth will eat and bow down;
all those who go down to the dust
will kneel before him—
even the one who cannot preserve his life. k
30 Their descendants will serve him;
the next generation will be told about the Lord. l
31 They will come and declare his righteousness;
to a people yet to be born
they will declare what he has done. m