Psalm 42–43

Book Two (Psalms 42–72)

Psalm 42

For the choir director: A psalm of the descendants of Korah.

¹As the deer longs for streams of water,

so I long for you, O God.

²I thirst for God, the living God.

When can I go and stand before him?

³Day and night I have only tears for food,

while my enemies continually taunt me, saying,

“Where is this God of yours?”

⁴My heart is breaking

as I remember how it used to be:

I walked among the crowds of worshipers,

leading a great procession to the house of God,

singing for joy and giving thanks

amid the sound of a great celebration!

⁵Why am I discouraged?

Why is my heart so sad?

I will put my hope in God!

I will praise him again—

my Savior and ⁶my God!

Now I am deeply discouraged,

but I will remember you—

even from distant Mount Hermon, the source of the Jordan,

from the land of Mount Mizar.

⁷I hear the tumult of the raging seas

as your waves and surging tides sweep over me.

⁸But each day the Lord pours his unfailing love upon me,

and through each night I sing his songs,

praying to God who gives me life.

⁹“O God my rock,” I cry,

“Why have you forgotten me?

Why must I wander around in grief,

oppressed by my enemies?”

¹⁰Their taunts break my bones.

They scoff, “Where is this God of yours?”

¹¹Why am I discouraged?

Why is my heart so sad?

I will put my hope in God!

I will praise him again—

my Savior and my God!

Psalm 43

¹Declare me innocent, O God!

Defend me against these ungodly people.

Rescue me from these unjust liars.

²For you are God, my only safe haven.

Why have you tossed me aside?

Why must I wander around in grief,

oppressed by my enemies?

³Send out your light and your truth;

let them guide me.

Let them lead me to your holy mountain,

to the place where you live.

⁴There I will go to the altar of God,

to God—the source of all my joy.

I will praise you with my harp,

O God, my God!

⁵Why am I discouraged?

Why is my heart so sad?

I will put my hope in God!

I will praise him again—

my Savior and my God!