Chapter 22

 To the chief music-maker on Aijeleth-hash-shahar. A Psalm. Of David.
My God, my God, why are you turned away from me? why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my crying? 

 O my God, I make my cry in the day, and you give no answer; and in the night, and have no rest. 

 But you are holy, O you who are seated among the praises of Israel. 

 Our fathers had faith in you: they had faith and you were their saviour. 

 They sent up their cry to you and were made free: they put their faith in you and were not put to shame. 

 But I am a worm and not a man; cursed by men, and looked down on by the people. 

 I am laughed at by all those who see me: pushing out their lips and shaking their heads they say, 

 He put his faith in the Lord; let the Lord be his saviour now: let the Lord be his saviour, because he had delight in him. 

 But it was you who took care of me from the day of my birth: you gave me faith even from my mother's breasts. 

 I was in your hands even before my birth; you are my God from the time when I was in my mother's body. 

 Be not far from me, for trouble is near; there is no one to give help. 

 A great herd of oxen is round me: I am shut in by the strong oxen of Bashan. 

 I saw their mouths wide open, like lions crying after food. 

 I am flowing away like water, and all my bones are out of place: my heart is like wax, it has become soft in my body. 

 My throat is dry like a broken vessel; my tongue is fixed to the roof of my mouth, and the dust of death is on my lips. 

 Dogs have come round me: I am shut in by the band of evil-doers; they made wounds in my hands and feet. 

 I am able to see all my bones; their looks are fixed on me: 

 They make a division of my robes among them, by the decision of chance they take my clothing. 

 Do not be far from me, O Lord: O my strength, come quickly to my help. 

 Make my soul safe from the sword, my life from the power of the dog. 

 Be my saviour from the lion's mouth; let me go free from the horns of the cruel oxen. 

 I will give the knowledge of your name to my brothers: I will give you praise among the people. 

 You who have fear of the Lord, give him praise; all you seed of Jacob, give him glory; go in fear of him, all you seed of Israel. 

 For he has not been unmoved by the pain of him who is troubled; or kept his face covered from him; but he has given an answer to his cry. 

 My praise will be of you in the great meeting: I will make my offerings before his worshippers. 

 The poor will have a feast of good things: those who make search for the Lord will give him praise: your heart will have life for ever. 

 All the ends of the earth will keep it in mind and be turned to the Lord: all the families of the nations will give him worship. 

 For the kingdom is the Lord's; he is the ruler among the nations. 

 All the fat ones of the earth will give him worship; all those who go down to the dust will make themselves low before him, even he who has not enough for the life of his soul. 

 A seed will be his servant; the doings of the Lord will be made clear to the generation which comes after. 

 They will come and make his righteousness clear to a people of the future because he has done this.