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Psalm 42

For the Chief Musician. A contemplation by the sons of Korah.

¹ As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants after you, God.1

² My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?

³ My tears have been my food day and night, while they continually ask me, “Where is your God?”

⁴ These things I remember, and pour out my soul within me, how I used to go with the crowd, and led them to God’s house, with the voice of joy and praise, a multitude keeping a holy day.

⁵ Why are you in despair, my soul? Why are you disturbed within me? Hope in God! For I shall still praise him for the saving help of his presence.

⁶ My God, my soul is in despair within me. Therefore I remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon, from the hill Mizar.

⁷ Deep calls to deep at the noise of your waterfalls. All your waves and your billows have swept over me.

⁸ Yahweh2 will command his loving kindness in the daytime. In the night his song shall be with me: a prayer to the God of my life.

⁹ I will ask God, my rock, “Why have you forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?”

¹⁰ As with a sword in my bones, my adversaries reproach me, while they continually ask me, “Where is your God?”

¹¹ Why are you in despair, my soul? Why are you disturbed within me? Hope in God! For I shall still praise him, the saving help of my countenance, and my God.


  1. 42:1 The Hebrew word rendered “God” is “ אֱלֹהִ֑ים” (Elohim). ↩︎

  2. 42:8 “Yahweh” is God’s proper Name, sometimes rendered “LORD” (all caps) in other translations. ↩︎