Psalm 22
Modern English Version
Psalm 22
For the Music Director. To the melody of “The Doe of the Dawn.” A Psalm of David.
1 My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?
Why are You so far from delivering me,
and from my roaring words of distress?
2 O my God, I cry in the daytime, but You do not answer;
and at night, but I have no rest.
3 But You are holy,
O You who inhabits the praises of Israel.
4 Our fathers trusted in You;
they trusted, and You did deliver them.
5 They cried to You and were delivered;
they trusted in You and were not put to shame.
6 But I am a worm, and not a man;
a reproach of men and despised by the people.
7 All who see me laugh me to scorn;
they sneer with the lip, they shake the head, saying,
8 “Trust in the Lord,
let Him deliver him;
let Him rescue him,
seeing He delights in him.”
9 But You are He who took me out of the womb;
You caused me to trust
while I was on my mother’s breasts.
10 I was cast on You from birth;
You are my God from my mother’s womb.
11 Be not far from me
for trouble is near,
for there is none to help.
12 Many bulls encircle me;
strong bulls of Bashan surround me.
13 They open their mouths against me,
as a preying and 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 inside my body.
15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd,
and my tongue cleaves to my jaws;
and You have set me toward the dust of death.
16 For dogs have encompassed me;
the assembly of the wicked has enclosed me;
like a lion they pin my hands and my feet;
17 I can count all my bones;
they look and stare on me.
18 They part my garments among them
and cast lots for my clothes.
19 But do not be far from me, O Lord;
O my Help, hasten to my aid.
20 Rescue my soul from the sword,
my only life from the power of the dog.
21 Save me from the lion’s mouth,
and from the horns of the wild ox, answer me!
22 I will declare Your name to my community;
in the midst of the congregation I will praise You.
23 You who fear the Lord, praise Him;
all you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him,
and stand in awe of Him, all you descendants of Israel.
24 For He has not despised nor abhorred
the affliction of the afflicted;
nor has He hid His face from him;
but when he cried to Him, He heard.
25 From You my praise will be in the great congregation;
I will pay my vows before those who fear Him.
26 The meek will eat and be satisfied;
those who seek Him will praise the Lord.
May your hearts live forever.
27 All the ends of the world
will remember and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nations
will worship before You.
28 For kingship belongs to the Lord,
and He rules among the nations.
29 All the prosperous ones of the earth will eat and worship;
all who go down to the dust will bow before Him,
even he who cannot keep his own soul alive.
30 Posterity will serve Him;
it will be told to generations about the Lord;
31 they will come and declare His righteousness
to a people yet to be born,
that He has acted.
Psalm 22
English Standard Version
Why Have You Forsaken Me?
To the choirmaster: according to The Doe of the Dawn. A Psalm of David.
22 (A)My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so (B)far from saving me, from the words of my (C)groaning?
2 O my God, I cry by (D)day, but you do not answer,
and by night, but I find no rest.
3 Yet you are (E)holy,
(F)enthroned on (G)the praises[a] of Israel.
4 In you our fathers trusted;
they trusted, and you delivered them.
5 To you they (H)cried and were rescued;
in you they (I)trusted and were not put to shame.
6 But I am (J)a worm and not a man,
(K)scorned by mankind and (L)despised by the people.
7 All who see me (M)mock me;
they make mouths at me; they (N)wag their heads;
8 (O)“He trusts in the Lord; let him (P)deliver him;
let him rescue him, for he (Q)delights in him!”
9 Yet you are he who (R)took me from the womb;
you made me trust you at my mother's breasts.
10 On you was I cast from my birth,
and from (S)my mother's womb you have been my God.
11 Be not (T)far from me,
for trouble is near,
and there is (U)none to help.
12 Many bulls encompass me;
(V)strong bulls of (W)Bashan surround me;
13 they (X)open wide their mouths at me,
like a ravening and roaring lion.
14 I am (Y)poured out like water,
and all my bones are (Z)out of joint;
my (AA)heart is like (AB)wax;
it is melted within my breast;
15 my strength is (AC)dried up like a potsherd,
and my (AD)tongue sticks to my jaws;
you lay me in the dust of death.
16 For (AE)dogs encompass me;
a company of evildoers (AF)encircles me;
they have (AG)pierced my hands and feet[b]—
17 I can count all my bones—
they (AH)stare and gloat over me;
18 (AI)they divide my garments among them,
and for my clothing they cast lots.
19 But you, O Lord, (AJ)do not be far off!
O you my help, (AK)come quickly to my aid!
20 Deliver my soul from the sword,
my precious life from the power of (AL)the dog!
21 Save me from (AM)the mouth of the lion!
You have rescued[c] me from the horns of (AN)the wild oxen!
22 (AO)I will tell of your name to my (AP)brothers;
in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:
23 You who (AQ)fear the Lord, praise him!
All you offspring of Jacob, (AR)glorify him,
and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!
24 For he has not despised or abhorred
the affliction of (AS)the afflicted,
and he has not (AT)hidden his face from him,
but has heard, when he (AU)cried to him.
25 From you comes my praise in the great (AV)congregation;
my (AW)vows I will (AX)perform before those who fear him.
26 (AY)The afflicted[d] shall (AZ)eat and be satisfied;
those who seek him shall praise the Lord!
May your hearts (BA)live forever!
27 All (BB)the ends of the earth shall remember
and turn to the Lord,
and all (BC)the families of the nations
shall worship before you.
28 For (BD)kingship belongs to the Lord,
and he rules over the nations.
29 All (BE)the prosperous of the earth eat and worship;
before him shall (BF)bow all who go down to the dust,
even the one who could not (BG)keep himself alive.
30 Posterity shall serve him;
it shall be told of the Lord to the coming (BH)generation;
31 they shall (BI)come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet (BJ)unborn,
that he has done it.
Footnotes
- Psalm 22:3 Or dwelling in the praises
- Psalm 22:16 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Vulgate, Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts like a lion [they are at] my hands and feet
- Psalm 22:21 Hebrew answered
- Psalm 22:26 Or The meek
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
