Psalm 22 (KJV): Full Text, Meaning & Prayer
Read Psalm 22 in the King James Version, from the cry "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" to its praise, with its meaning and a prayer.
Psalm 22 (King James Version)
My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring? O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent.
But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them. They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded.
But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people. All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.
But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother's breasts. I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother's belly. Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help.
Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round. They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels. My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death.
For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet. I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me. They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.
But be not thou far from me, O LORD: O my strength, haste thee to help me. Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog. Save me from the lion's mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns.
I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee. Ye that fear the LORD, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel. For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard.
My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him. The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek him: your heart shall live for ever.
All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee. For the kingdom is the LORD'S: and he is the governor among the nations. All they that be fat upon earth shall eat and worship: all they that go down to the dust shall bow before him: and none can keep alive his own soul. A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation. They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this.
Psalm 22:1-31, King James Version
A Prayer Based on Psalm 22
Lord, there are days when You feel far away, and I say so plainly: where are You? I pray in the daytime and in the night, and I still do not hear an answer.
Yet I remember who You are. You are holy. You carried my fathers and mothers in the faith, and they trusted You and were not put to shame. You have held me since before I was born.
Stay close to me, for trouble is near. Be my strength and make haste to help me. Teach me to pray honestly, even when all I have is a cry, and to believe that You have never despised the affliction of the afflicted.
Turn my sorrow into praise in Your own time, and let me tell others what You have done. Amen.
What Psalm 22 Means
Psalm 22 is a psalm of David, and it is one of the most honest prayers in Scripture. It begins in anguish and ends in praise, and the movement between the two is the heart of it.
Verses 1-5: the cry. The psalmist feels abandoned and says so. Yet even in that cry he calls God "my God" twice, and he steadies himself by remembering how God delivered earlier generations.
Verses 6-18: the suffering. He is mocked and surrounded. The images are fierce: bulls, lions, dogs, bones out of joint, a heart like melting wax. He names his weakness without hiding it.
Verses 19-21: the plea. Here the tone turns. "But be not thou far from me, O LORD" is a prayer for rescue spoken while the danger is still real.
Verses 22-31: the praise. Suddenly the psalm is full of thanksgiving. God "hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted," and the whole world will one day turn to the LORD and tell the next generation what he has done.
Psalm 22 and Jesus. The Gospels record that Jesus cried out the opening words from the cross (Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34). Christians have long read the rest of the psalm, including the pierced hands and feet and the dividing of garments, alongside the Passion. The Church also prays this psalm during Holy Week.
When to pray it: when you feel abandoned, when you are suffering and cannot find words, during Lent and Holy Week, or any time you need permission to be honest with God. Read it slowly and let the last third carry you out of the dark.
Scripture to Pray With
And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
Matthew 27:46 (KJV)
The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
Psalm 34:18 (KJV)
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Psalm 23:4 (KJV)
Frequently Asked Questions
Who wrote Psalm 22?
The heading of the psalm attributes it to David. It is a lament that moves from deep distress to confident praise.
Why did Jesus say "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"
Matthew and Mark record Jesus speaking the opening words of Psalm 22 from the cross. Many Christians see this as Jesus praying the psalm as his own, a psalm that ends in trust and praise.
What is the main message of Psalm 22?
That we can bring our abandonment and pain honestly to God, and that God does not despise the afflicted. The psalm ends with deliverance and praise reaching all nations.
Is Psalm 22 a prophecy about Jesus?
Christians have traditionally read details such as the pierced hands and feet and the casting of lots for garments as pointing to the Passion. It also began as David's own prayer in suffering, and both readings are held together.
When is Psalm 22 prayed in the Church?
Its opening verses are prayed by many on Good Friday and in Holy Week, and anyone can pray it in times of suffering or abandonment.
Last updated 2026-10-18