42 As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.

My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?

My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?

When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday.

Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.

O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar.

Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me.

Yet the Lord will command his lovingkindness in the day time, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life.

I will say unto God my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?

10 As with a sword in my bones, mine enemies reproach me; while they say daily unto me, Where is thy God?

11 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.

43 Judge me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation: O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man.

For thou art the God of my strength: why dost thou cast me off? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?

O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles.

Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, O God my God.

Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.

44 We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us, what work thou didst in their days, in the times of old.

How thou didst drive out the heathen with thy hand, and plantedst them; how thou didst afflict the people, and cast them out.

For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favour unto them.

Thou art my King, O God: command deliverances for Jacob.

Through thee will we push down our enemies: through thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us.

For I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me.

But thou hast saved us from our enemies, and hast put them to shame that hated us.

In God we boast all the day long, and praise thy name for ever. Selah.

But thou hast cast off, and put us to shame; and goest not forth with our armies.

10 Thou makest us to turn back from the enemy: and they which hate us spoil for themselves.

11 Thou hast given us like sheep appointed for meat; and hast scattered us among the heathen.

12 Thou sellest thy people for nought, and dost not increase thy wealth by their price.

13 Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and a derision to them that are round about us.

14 Thou makest us a byword among the heathen, a shaking of the head among the people.

15 My confusion is continually before me, and the shame of my face hath covered me,

16 For the voice of him that reproacheth and blasphemeth; by reason of the enemy and avenger.

17 All this is come upon us; yet have we not forgotten thee, neither have we dealt falsely in thy covenant.

18 Our heart is not turned back, neither have our steps declined from thy way;

19 Though thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons, and covered us with the shadow of death.

20 If we have forgotten the name of our God, or stretched out our hands to a strange god;

21 Shall not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart.

22 Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter.

23 Awake, why sleepest thou, O Lord? arise, cast us not off for ever.

24 Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and forgettest our affliction and our oppression?

25 For our soul is bowed down to the dust: our belly cleaveth unto the earth.

26 Arise for our help, and redeem us for thy mercies' sake.

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.