Psalm 22 - Why Have You Forsaken Me? by Shane Heilman My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are You so far from helping me? From the words of my groaning Oh my God, I cry to You all day long Still You do not respond I cry all the night, and have no rest But You are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel In You our fathers trusted, they trusted and You delivered them They cried to You and were rescued They cried to You and were not put to shame But I’m a worm Not a man, the scourge of all mankind Despised by everyone They wag their tongues at me, say-ing Let God rescue him, since He so delights in him!! But You are He who took me from the womb You made me trust on my mother’s breasts I was cast on You from birth From my mother’s womb You’ve been my God Do not be far from me For trouble is near and there is none to help… Many bulls surround me, strong bulls of Bashan They open wide their mouths at me like a raging, roaring lion I am poured out like water and my bones are out of joint My heart is like wax, it is melted within me My strength is dried up like a potsherd and my tongue Clings to my jaws, You’ve laid me in the dust of death For dogs, they surround me, an evil mob encircles me They pierced my hands and my feet, I can count my bones They stare at me and laugh at me, they cast lots for my robes But You, oh Yahweh, do not be far away O my strength, come quickly to my aid! Save me from the sword and the power of the dog Save me from the lion’s mouth and from the goring horns of the wild bull You have answered me You have answered me You have answered me and I’ll declare Your name to my brothers In the midst of the assembly I will praise You without shame Saying, “You who fear the LORD…” Praise Him, all you offspring of Jacob Glorify Him and stand in awe of Him, You child – ren of Israel For He has not despised the affliction of the afflicted And has not hidden His face from them, but heard when they cried to Him My praise comes from You in the great congregation I will perform my vows before those who fear Him The poor will eat their fill and be satisfied And those who seek Him shall praise the LORD, may your heart live forever May your heart live forever! All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD And all the families of the nations will worship You, for Kingship belongs to the LORD and He rules over the nations And all the prosperous of the earth shall eat and worship Before Him shall go down all who go down to the dust Even those who could not keep themselves alive Posterity shall serve him, it shall be told of the LORD to the next generation They shall proclaim His righteousness To a people yet unborn that He, O He, He has done this O He, He has done this, O He, He has done this