Book Two

Why Are You Cast Down, O My Soul?

To the choirmaster. A Maskil[a] of (A)the Sons of Korah.

42 (B)As a deer pants for flowing streams,
    so pants my soul for you, O God.
(C)My soul thirsts for God,
    for (D)the living God.
When shall I come and (E)appear before God?[b]
(F)My tears have been my food
    day and night,
(G)while they say to me all the day long,
    “Where is your God?”
These things I remember,
    as I (H)pour out my soul:
(I)how I would go (J)with the throng
    and lead them in procession to the house of God
with glad shouts and songs of praise,
    (K)a multitude keeping festival.

(L)Why are you cast down, O my soul,
    and why are you (M)in turmoil within me?
(N)Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
    my salvation[c] and my God.

My soul is cast down within me;
    therefore I (O)remember you
(P)from the land of Jordan and of (Q)Hermon,
    from Mount Mizar.
Deep calls to deep
    at the roar of your waterfalls;
(R)all your breakers and your (S)waves
    have gone over me.
By day the Lord (T)commands his steadfast love,
    and at (U)night his song is with me,
    a prayer to the God of my life.
I say to God, (V)my rock:
    “Why have you forgotten me?
(W)Why do I go mourning
    because of the oppression of the enemy?”
10 As with a deadly wound in my bones,
    my adversaries taunt me,
(X)while they say to me all the day long,
    “Where is your God?”

11 (Y)Why are you cast down, O my soul,
    and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
    my salvation and my God.

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 42:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
  2. Psalm 42:2 Revocalization yields and see the face of God
  3. Psalm 42:5 Hebrew the salvation of my face; also verse 11 and 43:5

BOOK II

Psalms 42–72

Psalm 42[a][b]

For the director of music. A maskil[c] of the Sons of Korah.

As the deer(A) pants for streams of water,(B)
    so my soul pants(C) for you, my God.
My soul thirsts(D) for God, for the living God.(E)
    When can I go(F) and meet with God?
My tears(G) have been my food
    day and night,
while people say to me all day long,
    “Where is your God?”(H)
These things I remember
    as I pour out my soul:(I)
how I used to go to the house of God(J)
    under the protection of the Mighty One[d]
with shouts of joy(K) and praise(L)
    among the festive throng.(M)

Why, my soul, are you downcast?(N)
    Why so disturbed(O) within me?
Put your hope in God,(P)
    for I will yet praise(Q) him,
    my Savior(R) and my God.(S)

My soul is downcast within me;
    therefore I will remember(T) you
from the land of the Jordan,(U)
    the heights of Hermon(V)—from Mount Mizar.
Deep calls to deep(W)
    in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
    have swept over me.(X)

By day the Lord directs his love,(Y)
    at night(Z) his song(AA) is with me—
    a prayer to the God of my life.(AB)

I say to God my Rock,(AC)
    “Why have you forgotten(AD) me?
Why must I go about mourning,(AE)
    oppressed(AF) by the enemy?”(AG)
10 My bones suffer mortal agony(AH)
    as my foes taunt(AI) me,
saying to me all day long,
    “Where is your God?”(AJ)

11 Why, my soul, are you downcast?
    Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
    for I will yet praise him,
    my Savior and my God.(AK)

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 42:1 In many Hebrew manuscripts Psalms 42 and 43 constitute one psalm.
  2. Psalm 42:1 In Hebrew texts 42:1-11 is numbered 42:2-12.
  3. Psalm 42:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
  4. Psalm 42:4 See Septuagint and Syriac; the meaning of the Hebrew for this line is uncertain.