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Psalm 42
Lexham English Bible

Hope in God in the Midst of Despair

For the music director. A maskil of the sons of Korah.[a]

42 As a deer longs for streams of water,
so my soul longs for you, O God.
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When shall I come and appear before God?[b]
3 My tears have been my food day and night,
while they say to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”
4 These I remember and I pour out my soul within me:
that I would go with the multitude;
I led them in procession to the house[c] of God,
with a voice of rejoicing and thanksgiving,
a crowd celebrating a festival.
5 Why are you in despair,[d] O my soul,
and disturbed within me?
Hope in God, because I will again praise him,
for the salvation of his presence.
6 O my God, within me my soul is in despair;[e]
therefore I remember you from the land of Jordan
and the heights of Hermon, from the mountain of Mizar.
7 Deep is calling to deep
at[f] the thunder of your waterfalls.
All your breakers and your waves
have passed over me.
8 By day Yahweh commands his loyal love,
and in the night his song is with me,
a prayer to the God of my life.
9 I say to God, my rock,
“Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I walk about mourning
because of the oppression of the enemy?”
10 As with a shattering in my bones
my oppressors taunt me,
while they say to me all day,[g]
“Where is your God?”
11 Why are you in despair,[h] O my soul?
And why are you disturbed within me?
Hope in God, because I shall again praise him,
my salvation[i] and my God.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 42:1 The Hebrew Bible counts the superscription as the first verse of the psalm; the English verse number is reduced by one
  2. Psalm 42:2 Some Hebrew manuscripts and versions read “and see the face of God?”
  3. Psalm 42:4 Or “temple”
  4. Psalm 42:5 Literally “bowed down”
  5. Psalm 42:6 Literally “bowed down”
  6. Psalm 42:7 Or “to”
  7. Psalm 42:10 Literally “all the day”
  8. Psalm 42:11 Literally “bowed down”
  9. Psalm 42:11 Literally “the salvation of my face”
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Psalm 42
New International Version

BOOK II

Psalms 42–72

Psalm 42[a][b]

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

1 As the deer(A) pants for streams of water,(B)
    so my soul pants(C) for you, my God.
2 My soul thirsts(D) for God, for the living God.(E)
    When can I go(F) and meet with God?
3 My tears(G) have been my food
    day and night,
while people say to me all day long,
    “Where is your God?”(H)
4 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)

5 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)

6 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.
7 Deep calls to deep(W)
    in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
    have swept over me.(X)

8 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)

9 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)

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.
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Psalm 42
New Living Translation

Book two (Psalms 42–72)

Psalm 42

For the choir director: A psalm[a] of the descendants of Korah.

1 As the deer longs for streams of water,
    so I long for you, O God.
2 I thirst for God, the living God.
    When can I go and stand before him?
3 Day and night I have only tears for food,
    while my enemies continually taunt me, saying,
    “Where is this God of yours?”

4 My heart is breaking
    as I remember how it used to be:
I walked among the crowds of worshipers,
    leading a great procession to the house of God,
singing for joy and giving thanks
    amid the sound of a great celebration!

5 Why am I discouraged?
    Why is my heart so sad?
I will put my hope in God!
    I will praise him again—
    my Savior and 6 my God!

Now I am deeply discouraged,
    but I will remember you—
even from distant Mount Hermon, the source of the Jordan,
    from the land of Mount Mizar.
7 I hear the tumult of the raging seas
    as your waves and surging tides sweep over me.
8 But each day the Lord pours his unfailing love upon me,
    and through each night I sing his songs,
    praying to God who gives me life.

9 “O God my rock,” I cry,
    “Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I wander around in grief,
    oppressed by my enemies?”
10 Their taunts break my bones.
    They scoff, “Where is this God of yours?”

11 Why am I discouraged?
    Why is my heart so sad?
I will put my hope in God!
    I will praise him again—
    my Savior and my God!

Footnotes

  1. 42:Title Hebrew maskil. This may be a literary or musical term.
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Psalm 42
Legacy Standard Bible

BOOK 2

My Soul Thirsts for God

For the choir director. A [a]Maskil of the sons of Korah.

42 As the deer [b]pants for the water brooks,
So my soul [c](A)pants for You, O God.
2 My soul (B)thirsts for God, for the (C)living God;
When shall I come and [d](D)appear before God?
3 My (E)tears have been my food day and night,
While they (F)say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”
4 These things I remember and I (G)pour out my soul within me.
For I (H)used to go along with the throng and [e]lead them in procession to the house of God,
With the sound of a (I)shout of joy and thanksgiving, a multitude keeping festival.

5 (J)Why are you [f](K)in despair, O my soul?
And why are you (L)disturbed within me?
(M)Wait for God, for I shall still praise Him,
[g]For the [h](N)salvation of His presence.
6 O my God, my soul is [i]in despair within me;
Therefore I (O)remember You from (P)the land of the Jordan
And the [j]peaks of (Q)Hermon, from Mount Mizar.
7 Deep calls to deep at the sound of Your waterfalls;
All Your (R)breakers and Your waves have rolled over me.
8 By day, Yahweh will (S)command His lovingkindness;
And (T)by night, His song will be with me,
A prayer to (U)the God of my life.

9 I say to God (V)my rock, “Why have You forgotten me?
Why do I go (W)mourning [k]because of the (X)oppression of the enemy?”
10 As a shattering of my bones, my adversaries reproach me,
While they (Y)say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”
11 (Z)Why are you [l]in despair, O my soul?
And why are you disturbed within me?
Wait for God, for I shall still praise Him,
The salvation of my presence and my God.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 42 Title Possibly Contemplative, Didactic, Skillful Psalm
  2. Psalm 42:1 Lit longs
  3. Psalm 42:1 Lit longs
  4. Psalm 42:2 Some mss see the face of God
  5. Psalm 42:4 Or move slowly with them
  6. Psalm 42:5 Or sunk down
  7. Psalm 42:5 Some ancient versions The help of my countenance and my God
  8. Psalm 42:5 Or saving acts
  9. Psalm 42:6 Or sunk down
  10. Psalm 42:6 Lit Hermons
  11. Psalm 42:9 Or while the enemy oppresses
  12. Psalm 42:11 Or sunk down
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Psalm 41
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