Psalm 42³⁶

For the music director; a well-written song³⁷ by the Korachites
42:1 As a deer¹ longs² for streams of water,
so I long³ for you, O God!
42:2 I thirst⁴ for God,
for the living God.
I say,⁵ “When will I be able to go and appear in God’s presence?”⁶
42:3 I cannot eat, I weep day and night;⁷
all day long they say to me,⁸ “Where is your God?”
42:4 I will remember and weep!⁹
For I was once walking along with the great throng to the temple of God,
shouting and giving thanks along with the crowd as we celebrated the holy festival.¹⁰
42:5 Why are you depressed,¹¹ O my soul?¹²
Why are you upset?¹³
Wait for God!
For I will again give thanks
to my God for his saving intervention.¹⁴
42:6 I am depressed,¹⁵
so I will pray to you while I am trapped here in the region of the upper Jordan,¹⁶
from Hermon,¹⁷ from Mount Mizar.¹⁸
42:7 One deep stream calls out to another¹⁹ at the sound of your waterfalls;²⁰
all your billows and waves overwhelm me.²¹
42:8 By day the LORD decrees his loyal love,²²
and by night he gives me a song,²³
a prayer²⁴ to the living God.
42:9 I will pray²⁵ to God, my high ridge:²⁶
“Why do you ignore²⁷ me?
Why must I walk around mourning²⁸
because my enemies oppress me?”
42:10 My enemies’ taunts cut into me to the bone,²⁹
as they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”³⁰
42:11 Why are you depressed,³¹ O my soul?³²
Why are you upset?³³
Wait for God!
For I will again give thanks
to my God for his saving intervention.³⁴