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.

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

⁵Why, 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)

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

⁸By 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)

⁹I 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)
¹⁰My bones suffer mortal agony^(AH)
    as my foes taunt^(AI) me,
saying to me all day long,
    “Where is your God?”^(AJ)

¹¹Why, 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

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