Psalm 22:1–18

¹My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?

Why are you so far away when I groan for help?

²Every day I call to you, my God, but you do not answer.

Every night I lift my voice, but I find no relief.

³Yet you are holy,

enthroned on the praises of Israel.

⁴Our ancestors trusted in you,

and you rescued them.

⁵They cried out to you and were saved.

They trusted in you and were never disgraced.

⁶But I am a worm and not a man.

I am scorned and despised by all!

⁷Everyone who sees me mocks me.

They sneer and shake their heads, saying,

⁸“Is this the one who relies on the Lord?

Then let the Lord save him!

If the Lord loves him so much,

let the Lord rescue him!”

⁹Yet you brought me safely from my mother’s womb

and led me to trust you at my mother’s breast.

¹⁰I was thrust into your arms at my birth.

You have been my God from the moment I was born.

¹¹Do not stay so far from me,

for trouble is near,

and no one else can help me.

¹²My enemies surround me like a herd of bulls;

fierce bulls of Bashan have hemmed me in!

¹³Like lions they open their jaws against me,

roaring and tearing into their prey.

¹⁴My life is poured out like water,

and all my bones are out of joint.

My heart is like wax,

melting within me.

¹⁵My strength has dried up like sunbaked clay.

My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth.

You have laid me in the dust and left me for dead.

¹⁶My enemies surround me like a pack of dogs;

an evil gang closes in on me.

They have pierced my hands and feet.

¹⁷I can count all my bones.

My enemies stare at me and gloat.

¹⁸They divide my garments among themselves

and throw dice for my clothing.