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.

Salmo 42 (41)

Estoy sediento de Dios

42 Al maestro del coro. Poema de los hijos de Coré.
Como la gacela suspira por torrentes de agua
así, Dios mío, suspiro yo por ti.
Estoy sediento de Dios, del Dios vivo,
¿cuándo llegaré a ver el rostro de Dios?
Mi llanto es mi alimento día y noche
mientras no dejan de preguntarme:
“¿Dónde está tu Dios?”.
Siento gran tristeza al recordar
cómo avanzaba yo entre el gentío,
llevándolos a la casa de Dios
entre vítores de gozo y alabanza
en medio de una muchedumbre en fiesta.
¿Por qué estoy abatido?
¿Por qué estoy tan turbado?
En Dios pondré mi esperanza,
no cesaré de alabarlo.
¡Él es mi Dios salvador!
Estoy abatido; por eso te evoco
desde la tierra del Jordán y el Hermón,
desde el monte Mizar.
El abismo grita al abismo
ante el fragor de tus cascadas;
tu oleaje, tus impetuosas olas
me han anegado por entero.
De día el Señor envía su amor,
de noche un canto me acompaña,
una oración al Dios de mi vida.
10 Pregunto a Dios, mi roca:
“¿Por qué me has olvidado?
¿Por qué he de andar afligido
por el acoso del enemigo?”.
11 Mis huesos están dañados,
mis adversarios me insultan
y no dejan de preguntarme:
“¿Dónde está tu Dios?”.
12 ¿Por qué estoy abatido?
¿Por qué estoy tan turbado?
En Dios pondré mi esperanza,
no cesaré de alabarlo,
¡él es mi Dios salvador!