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Book 2

(Psalms 42-72)

To the director: A maskil from the Korah family.

42 Like a deer drinking from a stream,
    I reach out to you, my God.[a]
My soul thirsts for the living God.
    When can I go to meet with him?
Instead of food, I have only tears day and night,
    as my enemies laugh at me and say, “Where is your God?”

My heart breaks as I remember the pleasant times in the past,
    when I walked with the crowds as I led them up to God’s Temple.
I remember the happy songs of praise
    as they celebrated the festival.

5-6 Why am I so sad?
    Why am I so upset?
I tell myself, “Wait for God’s help!
    You will again be able to praise him,
    your God, the one who will save you.”
In my sadness I say, “I will remember you from here on this small hill,[b]
    where Mount Hermon and the Jordan River meet.”
I hear the roar of the water coming from deep within the earth.
    It shouts to the water below as it tumbles down the waterfall.
God, your waves come one after another,
    crashing all around and over me.[c]

By day the Lord shows his faithful love,
    and at night I have a song for him—a prayer for the God of my life.[d]
I say to God, my Rock,
    “Why have you forgotten me?
    Why must I suffer this sadness that my enemies have brought me?”
10 Their constant insults are killing me.
    They never stop asking, “Where is your God?”

11 Why am I so sad?
    Why am I so upset?
I tell myself, “Wait for God’s help!
    You will again be able to praise him,
    your God, the one who will save you.”

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 42:1 Or “As a deer stretches out to drink water from a stream, so my soul thirsts for you, God.”
  2. Psalm 42:5 small hill Or “Mount Mizar.”
  3. Psalm 42:7 God, your waves … over me These word pictures describe the psalmist’s feelings about the many troubles the Lord has allowed him to experience.
  4. Psalm 42:8 the God of my life Or “my living God.”

BOOK II

Psalms 42–72

Psalm 42[a][b]

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

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

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)

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

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)

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.

A Better Time Is Coming

17 This is the truth: After a very short time, Lebanon will become rich farmland, and the farmland will be like thick forests. 18 The deaf will hear the words in the book. The blind will see through the darkness and fog. 19 The Lord will make poor people happy. The poorest people will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.

20 This will happen when the people who are mean and cruel have come to an end. It will happen when those who enjoy doing bad things are gone. 21 (They lie about good people. They try to trap people in court. They try to destroy innocent people.)

22 So the Lord, who made Abraham free, speaks to Jacob’s family. He says, “Now the people of Jacob will not be embarrassed and ashamed.

23 Yes, when they see all their children,
    the children I myself have made for them,
they will honor[a] my name as holy.
    They will respect the God of Israel.

24 Many of these people did not understand, so they did what was wrong. They complained, but now they will learn their lesson.”

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 29:23 honor Or “treat as holy.”

17 In a very short time,(A) will not Lebanon(B) be turned into a fertile field(C)
    and the fertile field seem like a forest?(D)
18 In that day(E) the deaf(F) will hear the words of the scroll,
    and out of gloom and darkness(G)
    the eyes of the blind will see.(H)
19 Once more the humble(I) will rejoice in the Lord;
    the needy(J) will rejoice in the Holy One(K) of Israel.
20 The ruthless(L) will vanish,(M)
    the mockers(N) will disappear,
    and all who have an eye for evil(O) will be cut down—
21 those who with a word make someone out to be guilty,
    who ensnare the defender in court(P)
    and with false testimony(Q) deprive the innocent of justice.(R)

22 Therefore this is what the Lord, who redeemed(S) Abraham,(T) says to the descendants of Jacob:

“No longer will Jacob be ashamed;(U)
    no longer will their faces grow pale.(V)
23 When they see among them their children,(W)
    the work of my hands,(X)
they will keep my name holy;(Y)
    they will acknowledge the holiness of the Holy One(Z) of Jacob,
    and will stand in awe of the God of Israel.
24 Those who are wayward(AA) in spirit will gain understanding;(AB)
    those who complain will accept instruction.”(AC)

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Proofs From God

12 The apostles were given the power to do many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. They were together in Solomon’s Porch, and they all had the same purpose. 13 None of the other people dared to stand with the apostles, but everyone was saying wonderful things about them. 14 More and more people believed in the Lord, and many men and women were added to the group of believers. 15 So the people brought those who were sick into the streets and put them on little beds and mats. They were hoping that Peter’s shadow might fall on them as he walked by. 16 People came from all the towns around Jerusalem. They brought those who were sick or troubled by evil spirits. All of them were healed.

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The Apostles Heal Many

12 The apostles performed many signs and wonders(A) among the people. And all the believers used to meet together(B) in Solomon’s Colonnade.(C) 13 No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people.(D) 14 Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number.(E) 15 As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by.(F) 16 Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by impure spirits, and all of them were healed.(G)

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