Psalm 22 | King James Version

King James Version

1 To the chief Musician upon Aijeleth Shahar, A Psalm of David. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring? 2 O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent. 3 But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. 4 Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them. 5 They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded. 6 But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people. 7 All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying , 8 He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him. 9 But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother' breasts. 10 I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother' belly. 11 Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help. 12 Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round. 13 They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion. 14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels. 15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death. 16 For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet. 17 I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me. 18 They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture. 19 But be not thou far from me, O LORD: O my strength, haste thee to help me. 20 Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog. 21 Save me from the lion' mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns. 22 I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee. 23 Ye that fear the LORD, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel. 24 For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard. 25 My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him. 26 The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek him: your heart shall live for ever. 27 All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee. 28 For the kingdom is the LORD': and he is the governor among the nations. 29 All they that be fat upon earth shall eat and worship: all they that go down to the dust shall bow before him: and none can keep alive his own soul. 30 A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation. 31 They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this .

New International Reader’s Version

For the director of music. A psalm of David to the tune of ‘The Doe of the Morning.’

1 My God, my God, why have you deserted me? Why do you seem so far away when I need you to save me? Why do you seem so far away that you can’t hear my groans? 2 My God, I cry out in the daytime. But you don’t answer. I cry out at night. But you don’t let me sleep. 3 But you rule from your throne as the Holy One. You are the God Israel praises. 4 Our people of long ago put their trust in you. They trusted in you, and you saved them. 5 They cried out to you and were saved. They trusted in you, and you didn’t let them down. 6 Everyone treats me like a worm and not a man. They hate me and look down on me. 7 All those who see me laugh at me. They shout at me and make fun of me. They shake their heads at me. 8 They say, ‘He trusts in the LORD. Let the LORD help him. If the LORD is pleased with him, let him save him.’ 9 But you brought me out of my mother’s body. You made me trust in you even when I was at my mother’s breast. 10 From the time I was born, you took good care of me. Ever since I came out of my mother’s body, you have been my God. 11 Don’t be far away from me. Trouble is near, and there is no one to help me. 12 Many enemies are all around me. They are like strong bulls from the land of Bashan. 13 They are like roaring lions that tear to pieces what they kill. They open their mouths wide to attack me. 14 My strength is like water that is poured out on the ground. I feel as if my bones aren’t connected. My heart has turned to wax. It has melted away inside me. 15 My mouth is dried up like a piece of broken pottery. My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. You bring me down to the edge of the grave. 16 A group of sinful people has closed in on me. They are all around me like a pack of dogs. They have pierced my hands and my feet. 17 Everyone can see all my bones right through my skin. People stare at me. They laugh when I suffer. 18 They divide up my clothes among them. They cast lots for what I am wearing. 19 LORD, don’t be so far away from me. You give me strength. Come quickly to help me. 20 Save me from being killed by the sword. Save the only life I have. Save me from the power of those dogs. 21 Save me from the mouths of those lions. Save me from the horns of those wild oxen. 22 I will announce your name to my people. I will praise you among those who are gathered to worship you. 23 You who have respect for the LORD, praise him! All you people of Jacob, honour him! All you people of Israel, worship him! 24 He has not forgotten the one who is hurting. He has not turned away from his suffering. He has not turned his face away from him. He has listened to his cry for help. 25 Because of what you have done, I will praise you in the whole community of those who worship you. In front of those who respect you, I will keep my promises. 26 Those who are poor will eat and be satisfied. Those who seek the LORD will praise him. May their hearts be filled with new hope! 27 People from one end of the earth to the other will remember and turn to the LORD. The people of all the nations will bow down in front of him. 28 The LORD is King. He rules over the nations. 29 All rich people of the earth will feast and worship God. All who go down to the grave will kneel in front of him. Those who cannot keep themselves alive will kneel. 30 Those who are not yet born will serve him. Those who are born later will be told about the Lord. 31 And they will tell people who have not yet been born, ‘The Lord has done what is right!’