THE BOOK OF
PSALMS
PSALM 22

A Messianic Psalm of David-He foretells events in Messiah's life-Messiah says: My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?-They pierce his hands and feet-He shall yet govern among all nations.

TO THE CHIEF MUSICIAN UPON AIJELETH SHAHAR, A PSALM OF DAVID.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  13 They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a 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 in the midst of my bowels.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  24 For 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.

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

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

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

  28 For the kingdom is the Lord's: and he is the governor among the nations.

  29 All 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.

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

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