221 To the chief Musician. Upon Aijeleth-Shahar. A Psalm of David. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? [why art thou] far from my salvation, from the words of my groaning? 2 My God, I cry by day, and thou answerest not; and by night, and there is no rest for me: 3 And thou art holy, thou that dwellest amid the praises of Israel. 4 Our fathers confided in thee: they confided, and thou didst deliver them. 5 They cried unto thee, and were delivered; they confided in thee, and were not confounded. 6 But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and the 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 it to Jehovah—let him rescue him; let him deliver him, because he delighteth in him! 9 But thou art he that took me out of the womb; thou didst make me trust, 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 encompassed me; Bashan's strong ones 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 become 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 palate; and thou hast laid me in the dust of death. 16 For dogs have encompassed me; an assembly of evil-doers have surrounded me: they pierced my hands and my feet. 17 I may count all my bones. They look, they stare upon me; 18 They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture. 19 But thou, Jehovah, be not far [from me]; O my strength, haste thee to help me. 20 Deliver my soul from the sword; my only one from the power of the dog; 21 Save me from the lion's mouth. Yea, from the horns of the buffaloes hast thou answered me.
22 I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee. 23 Ye that fear Jehovah, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and revere 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 is from 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 Jehovah that seek him: your heart shall live for ever. 27 All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn unto Jehovah, and all the families of the nations shall worship before thee: 28 For the kingdom is Jehovah's, and he ruleth among 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, and he that cannot 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 [it].
