卷二:诗篇42—72

流落异乡者的祷告

可拉后裔作的训诲诗,交给乐长。

42 上帝啊,我的心切慕你,
像鹿切慕溪水。
我心里渴慕上帝,
渴慕永活的上帝,
我何时才能去朝拜祂呢?
我不吃不喝,昼夜以泪洗面,
人们整天讥笑我:
“你的上帝在哪里?”
从前我带领众人浩浩荡荡去上帝的殿,
在欢呼、感恩声中一起过节。
我回想这些事,
心中无限忧伤。
我的心啊!
你为何沮丧?为何烦躁?
要仰望上帝,
因为我还要赞美祂——我的救主,我的上帝。

我的上帝啊,我心中沮丧,
便在约旦河、黑门山和米萨山想起你。
你的瀑布发出巨响,
回荡在深渊之间,
你的洪涛巨浪淹没我。
白天耶和华将祂的慈爱浇灌我;
夜间我歌颂祂,
向赐我生命的上帝祷告。
我对上帝——我的磐石说:
“你为何忘记我?
为何要我受仇敌的攻击,使我哀伤不已呢?”
10 仇敌的辱骂刺骨钻心。
他们整天对我说:
“你的上帝在哪里?”
11 我的心啊!
你为何沮丧?为何烦躁?
要仰望上帝,
因为我还要赞美祂——我的救主,我的上帝。

BOOK 2

Thirsting for God in Trouble and Exile.

For the music director. A [a]Maskil of the sons of Korah.

42 As the deer [b]pants for the water brooks,
So my soul [c](A)pants for You, God.
My soul (B)thirsts for God, for the (C)living God;
When shall I come and [d](D)appear before God?
My (E)tears have been my food day and night,
While they (F)say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”
I remember these things and (G)pour out my soul within me.
For I (H)used to go over with the multitude and walk them to the house of God,
With a voice of (I)joy and thanksgiving, a multitude celebrating a festival.

(J)Why are you [e](K)in despair, my soul?
And why are you (L)restless within me?
(M)Wait for God, for I will [f]again praise [g]Him
For the [h](N)help of His [i]presence, my God.
My soul is [j]in despair within me;
Therefore I (O)remember You from (P)the land of the Jordan
And the [k]peaks of (Q)Hermon, from Mount Mizar.
Deep calls to deep at the sound of Your waterfalls;
All Your (R)breakers and Your waves have passed over me.
The Lord will (S)send His goodness in the daytime;
And His song will be with me (T)in the night,
A prayer to (U)the God of my life.

I will say to God (V)my rock, “Why have You forgotten me?
Why do I go about (W)mourning [l]because of the (X)oppression of the enemy?”
10 As a shattering of my bones, my adversaries taunt me,
While they (Y)say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”
11 (Z)Why are you [m]in despair, my soul?
And why are you restless within me?
Wait for God, for I will again praise [n]Him
For the [o]help of His presence, my God.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 42 Title Possibly Contemplative; or Didactic; or Skillful Psalm
  2. Psalm 42:1 Lit longs for
  3. Psalm 42:1 Lit longs for
  4. Psalm 42:2 Some mss see the face of God
  5. Psalm 42:5 Lit dissolved away
  6. Psalm 42:5 Or still
  7. Psalm 42:5 Some ancient versions Him, the help of my face and my God
  8. Psalm 42:5 Or saving acts of
  9. Psalm 42:5 Or presence. O my God, my soul...
  10. Psalm 42:6 Or dissolved away
  11. Psalm 42:6 Lit Hermons
  12. Psalm 42:9 Or while the enemy oppresses
  13. Psalm 42:11 Or dissolved away
  14. Psalm 42:11 As in some ancient mss, cf. v 5; MT Him, the help of my face and my God
  15. Psalm 42:11 Or saving acts of

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.

BOOK TWO

(Psalms 42–72)

Psalm 42

For the choir director; a maskil[a] by Korah’s descendants.

As a deer longs for flowing streams,
    so my soul longs for you, O Elohim.
My soul thirsts for Elohim, for El Chay.
    When may I come to see Elohim’s face?
My tears are my food day and night.
    People ask me all day long, “Where is your Elohim?”
I will remember these things as I pour out my soul:
    how I used to walk with the crowd
        and lead it in a procession to Elohim’s house.
            I sang songs of joy and thanksgiving
                while crowds of people celebrated a festival.

Why are you discouraged, my soul?
    Why are you so restless?
        Put your hope in Elohim,
            because I will still praise him.
                He is my savior and my Elohim.

My soul is discouraged.
    That is why I will remember you
        in the land of Jordan, on the peaks of Hermon, on Mount Mizar.
One deep sea calls to another at the roar of your waterspouts.
    All the whitecaps on your waves have swept over me.[b]
Yahweh commands his mercy during the day,
    and at night his song is with me—
        a prayer to the El of my life.
            I will ask Elohim, my rock,
                “Why have you forgotten me?
                Why must I walk around in mourning
                    while the enemy oppresses me?”
10 With a shattering blow to my bones,
    my enemies taunt me.
    They ask me all day long, “Where is your Elohim?”

11 Why are you discouraged, my soul?
    Why are you so restless?
        Put your hope in Elohim,
            because I will still praise him.
                He is my savior and my Elohim.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 42:1 Unknown musical term.
  2. Psalm 42:7 Hebrew meaning of this verse uncertain.