Psalm 22

From Suffering to Praise

For the choir director: according to “The Deer of the Dawn.” a A Davidic psalm.

1 My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? b

Why are You so far from my deliverance c

and from my words of groaning? d e

2 My God, I cry by day, but You do not answer,

by night, yet I have no rest. f

3 But You are holy,

enthroned on the praises of Israel. g

4 Our fathers trusted in You;

they trusted, and You rescued them. h

5 They cried to You and were set free;

they trusted in You and were not disgraced. i

6 But I am a worm and not a man, j

scorned by men and despised by people. k

7 Everyone who sees me mocks me;

they sneer l and shake their heads: m

8 “He relies on n the Lord;

let Him rescue him;

let the Lord o deliver him,

since He takes pleasure in him.” p

9 You took me from the womb,

making me secure while at my mother’s breast. q

10 I was given over to You at birth; r

You have been my God from my mother’s womb. s

11 Do not be far from me, because distress is near

and there is no one to help. t

12 Many bulls surround me;

strong ones of Bashan encircle me. u

13 They open their mouths against me—

lions, mauling and roaring. v

14 I am poured out like water, w

and all my bones are disjointed; x

my heart is like wax,

melting within me. y

15 My strength is dried up like baked clay; z

my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. a

You put me into the dust of death. b

16 For dogs have surrounded me; c

a gang of evildoers has closed in on me;

they pierced d my hands and my feet. e

17 I can count all my bones;

people f look and stare at me. g

18 They divided my garments among themselves,

and they cast lots for my clothing. h

19 But You, Lord, don’t be far away. i

My strength, come quickly to help me. j

20 Deliver my life from the sword, k

my only life l from the power of these dogs.

21 Save me from the mouth of the lion! m

You have rescued n me

from the horns of the wild oxen.

22 I will proclaim Your name to my brothers;

I will praise You in the congregation. o

23 You who * fear * Yahweh, praise Him! p

All you descendants of Jacob, honor Him!

All you descendants of Israel, revere Him! q

24 For He has not despised or detested

the torment of the afflicted. r

He did not hide His face from him s

but listened when he cried to Him for help. t

25 I will give praise u in the great congregation

because of You; v

I will fulfill my vows

before those who fear You. w x

26 The humble y will eat and be satisfied; z

those who seek the Lord will praise Him.

May your hearts live forever! a

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, b

28 for kingship belongs to the Lord;

He rules over the nations. c

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. d

30 Their descendants will serve Him;

the next generation will be told about the Lord. e

31 They will come and tell a people yet to be born

about His righteousness—

what He has done. f