Psalm 22:1–18

My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?

You seem far from saving me,

far away from my groans.

²My God, I call to you during the day,

but you do not answer.

I call at night;

I am not silent.

³You sit as the Holy One.

The praises of Israel are your throne.

⁴Our ancestors trusted you;

they trusted, and you saved them.

⁵They called to you for help

and were rescued.

They trusted you

and were not disappointed.

⁶But I am like a worm instead of a man.

People make fun of me and hate me.

⁷Those who look at me laugh.

They stick out their tongues and shake their heads.

⁸They say, “Turn to the Lord for help.

Maybe he will save you.

If he likes you,

maybe he will rescue you.”

⁹You had my mother give birth to me.

You made me trust you

while I was just a baby.

¹⁰I have leaned on you since the day I was born;

you have been my God since my mother gave me birth.

¹¹So don’t be far away from me.

Now trouble is near,

and there is no one to help.

¹²People have surrounded me like angry bulls.

Like the strong bulls of Bashan, they are on every side.

¹³Like hungry, roaring lions

they open their mouths at me.

¹⁴My strength is gone,

like water poured out onto the ground,

and my bones are out of joint.

My heart is like wax;

it has melted inside me.

¹⁵My strength has dried up like a clay pot,

and my tongue sticks to the top of my mouth.

You laid me in the dust of death.

¹⁶Evil people have surrounded me;

like dogs they have trapped me.

They have bitten my arms and legs.

¹⁷I can count all my bones;

people look and stare at me.

¹⁸They divided my clothes among them,

and they threw lots for my clothing.