Psalms  ◦   Chapter 22

1My God, my God, why have you let go of me and given me up?
I cry desperately for help,
but help is far away.

2My God, during the day I cry to you, but you leave me alone;
into the darkness I am not silent.

3You are holy perfection
and indwell the glory of those that prevail with God.

4Our ancestors trusted you;
they trusted and you healed their hearts.

5They called to you and were transformed;
they trusted you and you took away their shame.

6But I don’t feel like a son of God; I feel low, like a worm —
loathed and reviled by people.

7Any who see me taunt and scorn me;
they sneer insults and shake their heads, saying:

8"He claims he trusts God;
let God rescue him now!
Let the Lord save him,
since he loves him so much."

9You brought me into the world right from the womb;
you made me feel safe upon my mother’s breast.

10I was dependent upon you from the moment of my birth;
from the moment I was born you have been my God.

11Do not stand too far from me,
for the agonizing ordeal is upon me
and there is none to help me.

12Violent men surround me like raging bulls;
they press in around me like fierce bulls of Bashan.

13They open their mouths to destroy me, tearing me down like lions ravaging their prey.

14My strength fails, my life-blood drains out like water;
my limbs are stretched — pulled apart at the joints.
My heart weakens like wax,
slowly torn apart within me.

15My mouth is as dry as baked clay,
my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth;
you have set the dust of death on me.

16The selfish and hateful surround me,
like wild dogs they close in on me;
they have pierced my hands and feet.

17My bones protrude — easy to see;
my enemies stare in triumph, gloating over me.

18They divide my garments among themselves
and roll dice for my clothing.

19O Lord, don’t go too far away;
O my source of strength, be ready to help me.

20Save my individuality from destruction when I die —
deliver your precious one from the power of these wild dogs.

21Rescue me from the vicious — those like ravenous lions;
you save me from the beastly — those like wild oxen!

22I will reveal your character to my brothers and sisters;
in the presence of humanity I will sing your praises.

23All you who are loyal to the Lord, spread the truth about him!
All who with God have prevailed over selfishness, reveal his character of love!
Adore him, all you with character like Israel!

24For he has not reviled or devalued
the painful victory of his afflicted one;
he has not rejected him
but answered him when he called.

25You are the theme of my praise in the great assembly;
I will complete my mission to procure the remedy for all the loyal to know.

26The spiritually-hungry will partake of the remedy and be fully healed;
those who seek God will praise him —
their inner selves (individualities) will live forever!

27People from around the world
will remember the God of love and return to him;
from every ethnic group on earth
people will worship him.

28For God is the Creator — the source of life —
and he governs reality and sustains the laws of nature.

29All the spiritually-healthy on earth will live with him and worship him;
all the spiritually-sick and dying will concede that God is right — those who are terminal and have rejected God’s saving remedy.

30Our descendants will join his team
and teach future generations about the Lord.

31They will spread his healing remedy
to people not yet born,
for he has accomplished it.