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)

Psalm 43[e]

Vindicate me, my God,
    and plead my cause(AL)
    against an unfaithful nation.
Rescue me(AM) from those who are
    deceitful and wicked.(AN)
You are God my stronghold.
    Why have you rejected(AO) me?
Why must I go about mourning,(AP)
    oppressed by the enemy?(AQ)
Send me your light(AR) and your faithful care,(AS)
    let them lead me;(AT)
let them bring me to your holy mountain,(AU)
    to the place where you dwell.(AV)
Then I will go(AW) to the altar(AX) of God,
    to God, my joy(AY) and my delight.(AZ)
I will praise you with the lyre,(BA)
    O God, my God.

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.(BB)

Psalm 44[f]

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

We have heard it with our ears,(BC) O God;
    our ancestors have told us(BD)
what you did in their days,
    in days long ago.(BE)
With your hand you drove out(BF) the nations
    and planted(BG) our ancestors;
you crushed(BH) the peoples
    and made our ancestors flourish.(BI)
It was not by their sword(BJ) that they won the land,
    nor did their arm bring them victory;
it was your right hand,(BK) your arm,(BL)
    and the light(BM) of your face, for you loved(BN) them.

You are my King(BO) and my God,(BP)
    who decrees[h] victories(BQ) for Jacob.
Through you we push back(BR) our enemies;
    through your name we trample(BS) our foes.
I put no trust in my bow,(BT)
    my sword does not bring me victory;
but you give us victory(BU) over our enemies,
    you put our adversaries to shame.(BV)
In God we make our boast(BW) all day long,(BX)
    and we will praise your name forever.[i](BY)

But now you have rejected(BZ) and humbled us;(CA)
    you no longer go out with our armies.(CB)
10 You made us retreat(CC) before the enemy,
    and our adversaries have plundered(CD) us.
11 You gave us up to be devoured like sheep(CE)
    and have scattered us among the nations.(CF)
12 You sold your people for a pittance,(CG)
    gaining nothing from their sale.

13 You have made us a reproach(CH) to our neighbors,(CI)
    the scorn(CJ) and derision(CK) of those around us.
14 You have made us a byword(CL) among the nations;
    the peoples shake their heads(CM) at us.
15 I live in disgrace(CN) all day long,
    and my face is covered with shame(CO)
16 at the taunts(CP) of those who reproach and revile(CQ) me,
    because of the enemy, who is bent on revenge.(CR)

17 All this came upon us,
    though we had not forgotten(CS) you;
    we had not been false to your covenant.
18 Our hearts had not turned(CT) back;
    our feet had not strayed from your path.
19 But you crushed(CU) us and made us a haunt for jackals;(CV)
    you covered us over with deep darkness.(CW)

20 If we had forgotten(CX) the name of our God
    or spread out our hands to a foreign god,(CY)
21 would not God have discovered it,
    since he knows the secrets of the heart?(CZ)
22 Yet for your sake we face death all day long;
    we are considered as sheep(DA) to be slaughtered.(DB)

23 Awake,(DC) Lord! Why do you sleep?(DD)
    Rouse yourself!(DE) Do not reject us forever.(DF)
24 Why do you hide your face(DG)
    and forget(DH) our misery and oppression?(DI)

25 We are brought down to the dust;(DJ)
    our bodies cling to the ground.
26 Rise up(DK) and help us;
    rescue(DL) us because of your unfailing love.(DM)

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.
  5. Psalm 43:1 In many Hebrew manuscripts Psalms 42 and 43 constitute one psalm.
  6. Psalm 44:1 In Hebrew texts 44:1-26 is numbered 44:2-27.
  7. Psalm 44:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
  8. Psalm 44:4 Septuagint, Aquila and Syriac; Hebrew King, O God; / command
  9. Psalm 44:8 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.

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