22 For the musical director: a song by David to the tune ‘The doe of the dawn’.

22 My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?

Why are you so far from saving me

≈and far from my plea for help?[ref]

2 My God, I call out in the daytime for help, but you don’t answer me,

≈and at night I’m not silent either.

3 Yet you are sinless—

accepting Yisrael’s praises.

4 Our ancestors trusted in you.

They trusted in you, and you rescued them.

5 They called out to you for help and they were rescued.

They trusted in you and were not disappointed.

6 But I’m a worm and not a man—

≈a disgrace to humanity and despised by the people.

7 Everyone who sees me, taunts me.

≈They make faces at me.

≈They shake their heads at me.[ref]

8 Go to Yahweh—he’ll save him.

≈He’ll rescue him because he likes him.[ref]

9 You brought me out from the womb.

≈You made me trust you when I was at my mother’s breasts.

10 I was forced to be dependant on you since birth.

≈You are my God since I was in my mother’s womb.

11 Don’t distance yourself from me, because trouble is near.

≈There’s no one else who can help.

12 Many enemies surround me like angry bulls.

≈Strong bulls of Bashan have surrounded me.

13 They open their mouths wide against me

≈like a roaring lion tearing its victim apart.

14 I am being poured out like water and all my bones are out of joint.

≈My heart is like wax—it melts away within my chest.

15 My strength has dried up like a piece of fired clay.

≈My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth.

You’re about to let me die and return to dust

16 because dogs have surrounded me.

≈A band of evil men has encircled me.

They’ve pierced my hands and my feet.[fn]

17 I can count all my bones.

They stand looking, and stare at me.

18 They divide my clothes up among themselves,

≈They cast lots for my garments.[ref]

19 Yahweh, don’t just stand at a distance.

≈Please hurry to help me, my strength.

20 Save my life from the sword—

≈my very existence from the clutch of wild dogs.

21 Save me from the lion’s mouth.

≈Rescue me from the horns of the wild bulls.

22 I’ll promote your name among my brothers.

≈I’ll praise you in front of all the assembled people.[ref]

23 ≈You all who fear Yahweh, praise him.

≈All you descendants of Yakob, honour him.

≈Stand in awe of him, all you descendants of Israel,

24 because he hasn’t despised or detested the suffering of the one who’s going through it.

≈Yahweh hasn’t hidden away from him.

≈When the suffering one called out to him, he heard.

25 You’re the reason that I offer praise when all the people gather.

≈I’ll fulfill my vows publicly in front of those who fear him.

26 The oppressed people will eat and be satisfied.

Those who’re interested in Yahweh will praise him.

May you all live forever.

27 Peoples from each end of the earth will remember and turn to Yahweh.

≈All the families of the nations will bow down before you,

28 because Yahweh is the king

≈and rules over the nations.

29 All the prosperous people in the world will celebrate and worship him.

≈All mortal people will bow before him—those who can’t extend their own lives.

30 Our future offspring will serve him.

They’ll tell the next generation about the master.

31 They will come and tell about his righteousness.

They’ll tell what he’s done to people not yet born.