Psalm 42

BOOK II

(Psalms 42–72)

42

Longing for God

For the choir director. A Maskil of the sons of Korah.

¹As a deer longs for flowing streams,

so I long for you, God. ^a

²I thirst for God, the living God.

When can I come and appear before God? ^b

³My tears have been my food day and night,

while all day long people say to me,

“Where is your God? ” ^c

⁴I remember this as I pour out my heart: ^d

how I walked with many,

leading the festive procession to the house of God,

with joyful and thankful shouts. ^e

⁵Why, my soul, are you so dejected?

Why are you in such turmoil?

Put your hope in God, for I will still praise him,

my Savior and my God. ^f

⁶I ^g am deeply depressed;

therefore I remember you from the land of Jordan

and the peaks of Hermon, from Mount Mizar. ^h

⁷Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls;

all your breakers and your billows have swept over me. ⁱ

⁸The Lord will send his faithful love by day; ^j

his song will be with me in the night —

a prayer to the God of my life.

⁹I will say to God, my rock, ^k

“Why have you forgotten me?

Why must I go about in sorrow

because of the enemy’s oppression? ” ^l

¹⁰My adversaries taunt me,

as if crushing my bones,

while all day long they say to me,

“Where is your God? ” ^m

¹¹Why, my soul, are you so dejected?

Why are you in such turmoil?

Put your hope in God, for I will still praise him,

my Savior and my God. ⁿ