Psalms

My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?

1My God, my God, why have you left me alone? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of pain?

2O my God, I cry in the day time, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent.

2My God, I call out to you all day, but you do not answer. I call all night, and get no rest.

3But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.

3But you are holy. You sit as king, and the praises of Israel are your throne.

4Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them.

4Our fathers put their trust in you. They trusted you, and you rescued them.

5They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded.

5They cried out to you and were set free. They trusted you and were not let down.

6But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.

6But I am a worm, not a man. People insult me, and the crowd looks down on me.

7All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,

7Everyone who sees me makes fun of me. They sneer at me and shake their heads, saying,

8He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.

8"He trusts the LORD, so let the LORD rescue him. Let God save him, since God is so pleased with him."

9But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother’s breasts.

9But you are the one who brought me out of my mother. You kept me safe when I was a nursing baby.

10I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother’s belly.

10From the day I was born I was placed in your care. You have been my God since my mother carried me.

11Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help.

11Do not stay far away from me. Trouble is close, and there is no one to help.

12Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round.

12Many bulls surround me. Strong bulls from Bashan have closed in on me from every side.

13They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion.

13They open their mouths wide at me, like lions that roar and tear their prey.

14I 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.

14I am poured out like water. All my bones are pulled apart. My heart is like wax, melting inside me.

15My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death.

15My strength is dried up like a broken piece of pottery. My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. You lay me in the dust of death.

NoteA potsherd is a broken piece of a clay pot. Out in the sun it dries out completely and crumbles.

16For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.

16Dogs are all around me. A gang of evil men has closed in on me. They have pierced my hands and my feet.

17I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me.

17I can count every one of my bones. My enemies stare at me and gloat.

Note"I may tell all my bones" is old English for "I can count all my bones." "Tell" used to mean count.

18They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.

18They divide my clothes among themselves. They draw lots to see who gets my robe.

19But be not thou far from me, O LORD: O my strength, haste thee to help me.

19But you, LORD, do not stay far away. You are my strength. Come quickly and help me.

20Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog.

20Save my life from the sword. Save the one life I have from the power of the dogs.

21Save me from the lion’s mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns.

21Save me from the lion's mouth. You have answered me from the horns of the wild oxen.

NoteThe KJV word "unicorns" means wild oxen: large, strong animals with horns, not the one-horned animal from stories.

22I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.

22I will tell my brothers what you are like. I will praise you when your people gather.

23Ye that fear the LORD, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel.

23You who honor the LORD, praise him! All you children of Jacob, give him glory! All Israel, stand in awe of him.

24For 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.

24He has not looked down on the suffering man or turned away from him in disgust. He did not hide his face. He listened when the man cried out.

25My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him.

25My praise comes from you when the great crowd gathers. I will keep my promises in front of those who honor him.

26The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek him: your heart shall live for ever.

26Poor people will eat and be full. Those who look for the LORD will praise him. May your hearts live forever.

27All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.

27People at the far ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD. Every family of every nation will bow before you.

28For the kingdom is the LORD’s: and he is the governor among the nations.

28The kingdom belongs to the LORD. He rules over all the nations.

29All 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.

29The rich of the earth will feast and worship. All who go down to the dust will kneel before him, even those who cannot keep themselves alive.

Note"They that be fat upon earth" means people who are rich and well fed, not people who are overweight.

30A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation.

30Those who come after me will serve him. They will be counted as the Lord's own people.

31They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this.

31They will come and tell people not yet born that he does what is right, and that he has done this.