Psalms 22

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 away? I am crying out loud, and you do not come to help.

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 to you all day, but you do not answer. I call at night too. I never stop.

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

3But you are holy. You sit as king, and Israel sings songs to praise you.

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

4Long ago our fathers trusted you. They trusted you, and you saved them.

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

5They called out to you, and you set them free. They trusted you, and they were not let down.

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

6But I feel like a worm, not a man. People make fun of me. They think I am nothing.

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

7Everyone who sees me laughs at me. They make ugly faces and shake their heads. They say,

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

8"He trusted the LORD. So let the LORD save him! Let God rescue him, since God likes him so much."

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 baby at her breast.

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

10Since the day I was born, I have leaned on you. You have been my God since before I was born.

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. There is no one to help me.

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

12Many bulls stand all around me. Strong bulls from Bashan have me surrounded.

NoteBashan was an area known for its big, strong cattle. Saying "bulls of Bashan" is like saying "the biggest bulls there are."

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

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

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 feel like water spilled on the ground. All my bones have come apart. My heart is like wax. It melts 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 pot. My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. You lay me down in the dust of death.

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 crowd of bad men has closed me in. They have made holes in 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. People stare at me and enjoy my pain.

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

18They split up my clothes among themselves. They throw lots to see who gets my coat.

NoteThrowing lots was like rolling dice. People used it to decide who got something.

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

19But 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 these 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, even from the horns of wild oxen.

NoteThe King James Bible says "unicorns" here. The old word meant a large wild ox with horns, not a horse with one horn.

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

22I will tell my brothers about you. I will praise you when the 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.

23All of you who honor the LORD, praise him! All you children of Jacob, give him honor! All you people of Israel, treat him with awe!

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.

24God did not turn away from the hurting man in his pain. He did not hide his face. When the man cried out, God listened.

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

25In the big gathering, I will praise you. I will keep the promises I made, in front of those who honor you.

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 have enough. 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 in every far part of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD. Families from every nation will bow down 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.

29Rich people on earth will eat and worship him. Everyone who goes down into the dust will kneel before him. No one can keep his own life going.

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

30The children who come later will serve him. They will be told about the Lord.

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 about the good things he does. They will tell people not yet born what he has done.