Psalms 42

1 For the leader. A maskil of the Korahites. Like the hart which longs for brooks of water, I long for you, God.

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

2 I thirst for God, for my living God. When shall I enter in, and see the face of God?

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?

3 My tears have been my food by day and by night; for they say to me all the day long, ‘Where is your God?’

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

4 My heart floods with sorrow, as I call to mind: how I used to pass on with the throng, at their head, to the house of God, with glad shouts and giving of thanks, in the throng who kept festival.

These things I remember, and pour out my soul within me, how I went with the throng, and led them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, a multitude keeping holyday.

5 Why am I downcast? Why this moaning within me? Hope in God; for yet will I praise him, my help, my God.

Why are thou cast down, O my soul? And why are thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God, for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.

6 I am sunk in my misery; I will therefore call you to mind from the land of Jordan and Hermon, the mountain Mizar.

O my God, my soul is cast down within me. Therefore I remember thee from the land of the Jordan, and the Hermons, from the hill Mizar.

7 Flood is calling to flood at the noise of your cataracts; all your waves and your breakers have passed over me.

Deep calls to deep at the noise of thy waterfalls. All thy waves and thy billows have gone over me.

8 In the day I cry to the Lord to summon his kindness; and the song that I sing in the night is a prayer to the living God.

Yet Jehovah will command his loving kindness in the daytime, and in the night his song shall be with me, even a prayer to the God of my life.

9 I say to God my rock, ‘Why have you forgotten me? Why must I walk so sadly, so hard pressed by the foe?’

I will say to God my rock, Why have thou forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?

10 It pierces me to the heart to hear the enemy’s taunts, as all the day long they say to me, ‘Where is your God?’

As with a sword in my bones, my adversaries reproach me; while they continually say to me, Where is thy God?

11 Why am I downcast? Why this moaning within me? Hope in God; for yet will I praise him, my help, my God.

Why are thou cast down, O my soul? And why are thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God, for I shall yet praise him, the help of my countenance, and my God.