Read the Bible

¹My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?

I have cried desperately for help,

but still it does not come.

²During the day I call to you, my God,

but you do not answer;

I call at night,

but get no rest.

³But you are enthroned as the Holy One,

the one whom Israel praises.

⁴Our ancestors put their trust in you;

they trusted you, and you saved them.

⁵They called to you and escaped from danger;

they trusted you and were not disappointed.

⁶But I am no longer a human being; I am a worm,

despised and scorned by everyone!

⁷All who see me jeer at me;

they stick out their tongues and shake their heads.

⁸“You relied on the LORD,” they say.

“Why doesn't he save you?

If the LORD likes you,

why doesn't he help you?”

⁹It was you who brought me safely through birth,

and when I was a baby, you kept me safe.

¹⁰I have relied on you since the day I was born,

and you have always been my God.

¹¹Do not stay away from me!

Trouble is near,

and there is no one to help.

¹²Many enemies surround me like bulls;

they are all round me,

like fierce bulls from the land of Bashan.

¹³They open their mouths like lions,

roaring and tearing at me.

¹⁴My strength is gone,

gone like water spilt on the ground.

All my bones are out of joint;

my heart is like melted wax.

¹⁵My throat is as dry as dust,

and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth.

You have left me for dead in the dust.

¹⁶An evil gang is round me;

like a pack of dogs they close in on me;

they tear at my hands and feet.

¹⁷All my bones can be seen.

My enemies look at me and stare.

¹⁸They gamble for my clothes

and divide them among themselves.

¹⁹O LORD, don't stay away from me!

Come quickly to my rescue!

²⁰Save me from the sword;

save my life from these dogs.

²¹Rescue me from these lions;

I am helpless before these wild bulls.

²²I will tell my people what you have done;

I will praise you in their assembly:

²³“Praise him, you servants of the LORD!

Honour him, you descendants of Jacob!

Worship him, you people of Israel!

²⁴He does not neglect the poor or ignore their suffering;

he does not turn away from them,

but answers when they call for help.”

²⁵In the full assembly I will praise you for what you have done;

in the presence of those who worship you

I will offer the sacrifices I promised.

²⁶The poor will eat as much as they want;

those who come to the LORD will praise him.

May they prosper for ever!

²⁷All nations will remember the LORD.

From every part of the world they will turn to him;

all races will worship him.

²⁸The LORD is king,

and he rules the nations.

²⁹All proud people will bow down to him;

all mortals will bow down before him.

³⁰Future generations will serve him;

they will speak of the Lord to the coming generation.

³¹People not yet born will be told:

“The Lord saved his people.”