XXII. Book I. A Cry of Anguish and a Song of Praise. 1909-14. The Book of Psalms. The Harvard Classics

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The Book of Psalms.
The Harvard Classics. 1909–14.

Book I

XXII

A Cry of Anguish and a Song of Praise

For the Chief Musician; set to Aijeleth 1 Hash-Shahar. A Psalm of David.


[1]	MY God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Why 2 art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?
[2]	O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou answerest not; And in the night season, and 3 am not silent.
[3]	But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest 4 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 put to shame.
[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]	Commit 5 thyself unto Jehovah; let him deliver him: Let him rescue him, seeing he delighteth in him.
[9]	But thou art he that took me out of the womb; Thou didst make me trust when I was upon my mother’s breasts.
[10]	I was cast upon thee from the womb; Thou art my God since my mother bare me.
[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 gape upon me with their mouth, 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 within me.
[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: A company of evil-doers have inclosed me; They 6 pierced my hands and my feet.
[17]	I may count all my bones; They look and stare upon me.
[18]	They part my garments among them, And upon my vesture do they cast lots.
[19]	But be not thou far off, O Jehovah: O thou my succor, haste thee to help me.
[20]	Deliver my soul from the sword, My darling 7 from the power of the dog.
[21]	Save me from the lion’s mouth; Yea, from the horns of the wild-oxen thou hast answered me.
[22]	I will declare thy name unto my brethren: In the midst of the assembly will I praise thee.
[23]	Ye that fear Jehovah, praise him; All ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; And stand in awe of 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]	Of thee cometh my praise in the great assembly: I will pay my vows before them that fear him.
[26]	The meek shall eat and be satisfied; They shall praise Jehovah that seek after him: Let your heart live for ever.
[27]	All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn unto Jehovah; And all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.
[28]	For the kingdom is Jehovah’s; And he is the ruler over the nations.
[29]	All the fat ones of the earth shall eat and worship: All they that go down to the dust shall bow before him, Even he that cannot keep his soul alive.
[30]	A seed shall serve him; It shall be told 8 of the Lord unto the next generation.
[31]	They shall come and shall declare his righteousness Unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done it.

Note 1. That is, The hind of the morning. [back]

Note 2. Or, Far from my help are the words of my groaning.Heb. roaring. [back]

Note 3. Or, but find no rest. [back]

Note 4. Or, art enthroned upon. [back]

Note 5. Or, He trusted on Jehovah, that he would deliver him. [back]

Note 6. So the Sept., Vulg., and Syr. The Hebrew text as pointed reads, Like a lion, my &c. [back]

Note 7. Heb. only one.Or, dear life. [back]

Note 8. Or, counted unto the Lord for his generations. [back]

CONTENTS · BOOK CONTENTS · BIBLIOGRAPHIC RECORD

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