1 To the chief music-maker on Aijeleth-hash-shahar. A Psalm. Of David.
2My 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?
3O my God, I make my cry in the day, and you give no answer; and in the night, and have no rest.
4But you are holy, O you who are seated among the praises of Israel.
5Our fathers had faith in you: they had faith and you were their saviour.
6They sent up their cry to you and were made free: they put their faith in you and were not put to shame.
7But I am a worm and not a man; cursed by men, and looked down on by the people.
8I am laughed at by all those who see me: pushing out their lips and shaking their heads they say,
9He 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.
10But it was you who took care of me from the day of my birth: you gave me faith even from my mother's breasts.
11I was in your hands even before my birth; you are my God from the time when I was in my mother's body.
12Be not far from me, for trouble is near; there is no one to give help.
13A great herd of oxen is round me: I am shut in by the strong oxen of Bashan.
14I saw their mouths wide open, like lions crying after food.
15I 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.
16My 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.
17Dogs have come round me: I am shut in by the band of evil-doers; they made wounds in my hands and feet.
18I am able to see all my bones; their looks are fixed on me:
19They make a division of my robes among them, by the decision of chance they take my clothing.
20Do not be far from me, O Lord: O my strength, come quickly to my help.
21Make my soul safe from the sword, my life from the power of the dog.
22Be my saviour from the lion's mouth; let me go free from the horns of the cruel oxen.
23I will give the knowledge of your name to my brothers: I will give you praise among the people.
24You 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.
25For 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.
26My praise will be of you in the great meeting: I will make my offerings before his worshippers.
27The 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.
28All 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.
29For the kingdom is the Lord's; he is the ruler among the nations.
30All 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.
31A seed will be his servant; the doings of the Lord will be made clear to the generation which comes after.
32They will come and make his righteousness clear to a people of the future because he has done this.
