Psalm 22

New International Version

Psalm 22^[a]

For the director of music. To the tune of “The Doe of the Morning.” A psalm of David.

¹My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?^(A)
    Why are you so far^(B) from saving me,
    so far from my cries of anguish?^(C)
²My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,^(D)
    by night,^(E) but I find no rest.^[b]

³Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;^(F)
    you are the one Israel praises.^[c]^(G)
⁴In you our ancestors put their trust;
    they trusted and you delivered them.^(H)
⁵To you they cried out^(I) and were saved;
    in you they trusted^(J) and were not put to shame.^(K)

⁶But I am a worm^(L) and not a man,
    scorned by everyone,^(M) despised^(N) by the people.
⁷All who see me mock me;^(O)
    they hurl insults,^(P) shaking their heads.^(Q)
⁸“He trusts in the Lord,” they say,
    “let the Lord rescue him.^(R)
Let him deliver him,^(S)
    since he delights^(T) in him.”

⁹Yet you brought me out of the womb;^(U)
you made me trust^(V) in you, even at my mother’s breast.
¹⁰From birth^(W) I was cast on you;
from my mother’s womb you have been my God.

¹¹Do not be far from me,^(X)
for trouble is near^(Y)
and there is no one to help.^(Z)

¹²Many bulls^(AA) surround me;^(AB)
    strong bulls of Bashan^(AC) encircle me.
¹³Roaring lions^(AD) that tear their prey^(AE)
    open their mouths wide^(AF) against me.
¹⁴I am poured out like water,
    and all my bones are out of joint.^(AG)
My heart has turned to wax;^(AH)
    it has melted^(AI) within me.
¹⁵My mouth^[d] is dried up like a potsherd,^(AJ)
    and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth;^(AK)
    you lay me in the dust^(AL) of death.

¹⁶Dogs^(AM) surround me,
    a pack of villains encircles me;
    they pierce^[e]^(AN) my hands and my feet.
¹⁷All my bones are on display;
    people stare^(AO) and gloat over me.^(AP)
¹⁸They divide my clothes among them
    and cast lots^(AQ) for my garment.^(AR)

¹⁹But you, Lord, do not be far from me.^(AS)
    You are my strength;^(AT) come quickly^(AU) to help me.^(AV)
²⁰Deliver me from the sword,^(AW)
    my precious life^(AX) from the power of the dogs.^(AY)
²¹Rescue me from the mouth of the lions;^(AZ)
    save me from the horns of the wild oxen.^(BA)

²²I will declare your name to my people;
    in the assembly^(BB) I will praise you.^(BC)
²³You who fear the Lord, praise him!^(BD)
    All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!^(BE)
    Revere him,^(BF) all you descendants of Israel!
²⁴For he has not despised^(BG) or scorned
    the suffering of the afflicted one;^(BH)
he has not hidden his face^(BI) from him
    but has listened to his cry for help.^(BJ)

²⁵From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly;^(BK)
    before those who fear you^[f] I will fulfill my vows.^(BL)
²⁶The poor will eat^(BM) and be satisfied;
    those who seek the Lord will praise him—^(BN)
    may your hearts live forever!

²⁷All the ends of the earth^(BO)
    will remember and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nations
    will bow down before him,^(BP)
²⁸for dominion belongs to the Lord^(BQ)
    and he rules over the nations.

²⁹All the rich^(BR) of the earth will feast and worship;^(BS)
    all who go down to the dust^(BT) will kneel before him—
    those who cannot keep themselves alive.^(BU)
³⁰Posterity^(BV) will serve him;
    future generations^(BW) will be told about the Lord.
³¹They will proclaim his righteousness,^(BX)
    declaring to a people yet unborn:^(BY)
    He has done it!^(BZ)

Footnotes

Psalm 22:1 In Hebrew texts 22:1-31 is numbered 22:2-32.
Psalm 22:2 Or night, and am not silent
Psalm 22:3 Or Yet you are holy, / enthroned on the praises of Israel
Psalm 22:15 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text strength
Psalm 22:16 Dead Sea Scrolls and some manuscripts of the Masoretic Text, Septuagint and Syriac; most manuscripts of the Masoretic Text me, / like a lion
Psalm 22:25 Hebrew him