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.

Exodus 18:13-27

New International Version

¹³The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from morning till evening. ¹⁴When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said, “What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till evening?”

¹⁵Moses answered him, “Because the people come to me to seek God’s will.^(A) ¹⁶Whenever they have a dispute,^(B) it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God’s decrees and instructions.”^(C)

¹⁷Moses’ father-in-law replied, “What you are doing is not good. ¹⁸You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone.^(D) ¹⁹Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you.^(E) You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their disputes^(F) to him. ²⁰Teach them his decrees and instructions,^(G) and show them the way they are to live^(H) and how they are to behave.^(I) ²¹But select capable men^(J) from all the people—men who fear^(K) God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain^(L)—and appoint them as officials^(M) over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. ²²Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case^(N) to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share^(O) it with you. ²³If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.”

²⁴Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said. ²⁵He chose capable men from all Israel and made them leaders^(P) of the people, officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens.^(Q) ²⁶They served as judges^(R) for the people at all times. The difficult cases^(S) they brought to Moses, but the simple ones they decided themselves.^(T)

²⁷Then Moses sent his father-in-law on his way, and Jethro returned to his own country.^(U)

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Philippians 1:15-21

New International Version

¹⁵It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. ¹⁶The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel.^(A) ¹⁷The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition,^(B) not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains.^(C) ¹⁸But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.

Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, ¹⁹for I know that through your prayers^(D) and God’s provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ^(E) what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance.^[a]^(F) ²⁰I eagerly expect^(G) and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage^(H) so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body,^(I) whether by life or by death.^(J) ²¹For to me, to live is Christ^(K) and to die is gain.