April 10 – Psalms 21 and 22 from the Old Testament

Psalms 21 and 22 – Psalm 21

For the music director; a psalm of David.

21:1 O Lord, the king rejoices in the strength you give;

he takes great delight in the deliverance you provide.

21:2 You grant him his heart’s desire;

you do not refuse his request. (Selah)

21:3 For you bring him rich blessings;

you place a golden crown on his head.

21:4 He asked you to sustain his life,

and you have granted him long life and an enduring dynasty.

21:5 Your deliverance brings him great honor;

you give him majestic splendor.

21:6 For you grant him lasting blessings;

you give him great joy by allowing him into your presence.

21:7 For the king trusts in the Lord,

and because of the sovereign Lord’s faithfulness he is not upended.

21:8 You prevail over all your enemies;

your power is too great for those who hate you.

21:9 You burn them up like a fiery furnace when you appear;

the Lord angrily devours them;

the fire consumes them.

21:10 You destroy their offspring from the earth,

their descendants from among the human race.

21:11 Yes, they intend to do you harm;

they dream up a scheme, but they do not succeed.

21:12 For you make them retreat

when you shoot your arrows at them.

21:13 Rise up, O Lord, in strength!

We will sing and praise your power!

Psalm 22

For the music director; according to the tune “Morning Doe;” a psalm of David.

22:1 My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?

I groan in prayer, but help seems far away.

22:2 My God, I cry out during the day,

but you do not answer,

and during the night my prayers do not let up.

22:3 You are holy;

you sit as king receiving the praises of Israel.

22:4 In you our ancestors trusted;

they trusted in you and you rescued them.

22:5 To you they cried out, and they were saved;

in you they trusted and they were not disappointed.

22:6 But I am a worm, not a man;

people insult me and despise me.

22:7 All who see me taunt me;

they mock me and shake their heads.

22:8 They say,

“Commit yourself to the Lord!

Let the Lord rescue him!

Let the Lord deliver him, for he delights in him.”

22:9 Yes, you are the one who brought me out from the womb

and made me feel secure on my mother’s breasts.

22:10 I have been dependent on you since birth;

from the time I came out of my mother’s womb you have been my God.

22:11 Do not remain far away from me,

for trouble is near and I have no one to help me.

22:12 Many bulls surround me;

powerful bulls of Bashan hem me in.

22:13 They open their mouths to devour me

like a roaring lion that rips its prey.

22:14 My strength drains away like water;

all my bones are dislocated;

my heart is like wax;

it melts away inside me.

22:15 The roof of my mouth is as dry as a piece of pottery;

my tongue sticks to my gums.

You set me in the dust of death.

22:16 Yes, wild dogs surround me –

a gang of evil men crowd around me;

like a lion they pin my hands and feet.

22:17 I can count all my bones;

my enemies are gloating over me in triumph.

22:18 They are dividing up my clothes among themselves;

they are rolling dice for my garments.

22:19 But you, O Lord, do not remain far away!

You are my source of strength! Hurry and help me!

22:20 Deliver me from the sword!

Save my life from the claws of the wild dogs!

22:21 Rescue me from the mouth of the lion,

and from the horns of the wild oxen!

You have answered me!

22:22 I will declare your name to my countrymen!

In the middle of the assembly I will praise you!

22:23 You loyal followers of the Lord, praise him!

All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!

All you descendants of Israel, stand in awe of him!

22:24 For he did not despise or detest the suffering of the oppressed;

he did not ignore him;

when he cried out to him, he responded.

22:25 You are the reason I offer praise in the great assembly;

I will fulfill my promises before the Lord’s loyal followers.

22:26 Let the oppressed eat and be filled!

Let those who seek his help praise the Lord!

May you live forever!

22:27 Let all the people of the earth acknowledge the Lord and turn to him!

Let all the nations worship you!

22:28 For the Lord is king

and rules over the nations.

22:29 All of the thriving people of the earth will join the celebration and worship;

all those who are descending into the grave will bow before him,

including those who cannot preserve their lives.

22:30 A whole generation will serve him;

they will tell the next generation about the sovereign Lord.

22:31 They will come and tell about his saving deeds;

they will tell a future generation what he has accomplished.