Psalm 22: My God, Why Hast Thou Forsaken Me? Poem by King David of Israel

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 day time, 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.

(KJV)