My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
and are so far from
my cry
and from the words
of my distress?
O my God, I cry in the daytime, but you do not answer;
by night as well,
but I find no rest.
Yet you are the Holy One,
enthroned upon the
praises of Israel.
Our forefathers put their trust in you;
they trusted, and
you delivered them.
They cried out to you and were delivered;
they trusted in
you and were not put to shame.
But as for me, I am a worm and no man,
scorned by all and
despised by the people.
All who see me laugh me to scorn;
they curl their
lips and wag their heads, saying,
He trusted in the LORD; let him deliver him;
let him rescue him,
if he delights in him.
Yet you are he who took me out of the womb,
and kept me safe
upon my mother's breast.
I have been entrusted to you ever since I was born;
you were my God
when I was still in my mother's womb.
Be not far from me, for trouble is near,
and there is none
to help.
Many young bulls encircle me;
strong bulls of
Bashan surround me.
They open wide their jaws at me,
like a ravening
and a roaring lion.
I am poured out like water;
all my bones are
out of joint;
my heart within
my breast is melting wax.
My mouth is dried out like a pot-sherd;
my tongue sticks
to the roof of my mouth;
and you have laid
me in the dust of the grave.
Packs of dogs close me in,
and gangs of evildoers
circle around me;
they pierce my hands
and my feet;
I can count all
my bones.
They stare and gloat over me;
they divide my garments
among them;
they cast lots for
my clothing.
Be not far away, O LORD;
you are my strength;
hasten to help me.
Save me from the sword,
my life from the
power of the dog.
Save me from the lion's mouth,
my wretched body
from the horns of wild bulls.
I will declare your Name to my brethren;
in the midst of
the congregation I will praise you.
Praise the LORD, you that fear him;
stand in awe of
him, O offspring of Israel;
all you of Jacob's
line, give glory.
For he does not despise nor abhor the poor in their poverty;
neither does he
hide his face from them;
but when they cry
to him he hears them.
My praise is of him in the great assembly;
I will perform my
vows in the presence of those who worship him.
The poor shall eat and be satisfied,
and those who seek
the LORD shall praise him:
May
your heart live for ever!
All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD,
and all the families
of the nations bow before him.
For kingship belongs to the LORD;
he rules over the
nations.
To him alone all who sleep in the earth bow down in worship;
all who go down
to the dust fall before him.
My soul shall live for him;
my descendants shall
serve him;
they shall be known
as the LORD'S for ever.
They shall come and make known to a people yet unborn
the saving deeds
that he has done.