Chapter 22

  To the chief music-maker on Aijeleth-hash-shahar. A Psalm. Of David.
My God, my God, why are you turned away from me? why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my crying?  

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  O my God, I make my cry in the day, and you give no answer; and in the night, and have no rest.  

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  But you are holy, O you who are seated among the praises of Israel.  

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  Our fathers had faith in you: they had faith and you were their saviour.  

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  They sent up their cry to you and were made free: they put their faith in you and were not put to shame.  

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  But I am a worm and not a man; cursed by men, and looked down on by the people.  

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  I am laughed at by all those who see me: pushing out their lips and shaking their heads they say,  

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  He put his faith in the Lord; let the Lord be his saviour now: let the Lord be his saviour, because he had delight in him.  

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  But it was you who took care of me from the day of my birth: you gave me faith even from my mother's breasts.  

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  I was in your hands even before my birth; you are my God from the time when I was in my mother's body.  

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  Be not far from me, for trouble is near; there is no one to give help.  

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  A great herd of oxen is round me: I am shut in by the strong oxen of Bashan.  

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  I saw their mouths wide open, like lions crying after food.  

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  I am flowing away like water, and all my bones are out of place: my heart is like wax, it has become soft in my body.  

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  My throat is dry like a broken vessel; my tongue is fixed to the roof of my mouth, and the dust of death is on my lips.  

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  Dogs have come round me: I am shut in by the band of evil-doers; they made wounds in my hands and feet.  

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  I am able to see all my bones; their looks are fixed on me:  

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  They make a division of my robes among them, by the decision of chance they take my clothing.  

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  Do not be far from me, O Lord: O my strength, come quickly to my help.  

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  Make my soul safe from the sword, my life from the power of the dog.  

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  Be my saviour from the lion's mouth; let me go free from the horns of the cruel oxen.  

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  I will give the knowledge of your name to my brothers: I will give you praise among the people.  

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  You who have fear of the Lord, give him praise; all you seed of Jacob, give him glory; go in fear of him, all you seed of Israel.  

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  For he has not been unmoved by the pain of him who is troubled; or kept his face covered from him; but he has given an answer to his cry.  

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  My praise will be of you in the great meeting: I will make my offerings before his worshippers.  

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  The poor will have a feast of good things: those who make search for the Lord will give him praise: your heart will have life for ever.  

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  All the ends of the earth will keep it in mind and be turned to the Lord: all the families of the nations will give him worship.  

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  For the kingdom is the Lord's; he is the ruler among the nations.  

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  All the fat ones of the earth will give him worship; all those who go down to the dust will make themselves low before him, even he who has not enough for the life of his soul.  

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  A seed will be his servant; the doings of the Lord will be made clear to the generation which comes after.  

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  They will come and make his righteousness clear to a people of the future because he has done this.  

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