Psalm 42

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Original

Modern

BOOK II

Psalms 42–72

As the Deer Pants for the Water

¹לַמְנַצֵּ֗חַ מַשְׂכִּ֥יל לִבְנֵי־קֹֽרַח׃ כְּאַיָּ֗ל תַּעֲרֹ֥ג עַל־אֲפִֽיקֵי־מָ֑יִם כֵּ֤ן נַפְשִׁ֨י תַעֲרֹ֖ג אֵלֶ֣יךָ אֱלֹהִֽים׃

¹For the choirmaster. A Maskil of the sons of Korah.^a

As the deer pants for streams of water,

so my soul longs after You, O God.

²צָמְאָ֬ה נַפְשִׁ֨י׀ לֵאלֹהִים֮ לְאֵ֪ל חָ֥י מָתַ֥י אָב֑וֹא וְ֝אֵרָאֶ֗ה פְּנֵ֣י אֱלֹהִֽים׃

²My soul thirsts for God, the living God.

When shall I come and appear in God’s presence?^a

³הָֽיְתָה־לִּ֬י דִמְעָתִ֣י לֶ֭חֶם יוֹמָ֣ם וָלָ֑יְלָה בֶּאֱמֹ֥ר אֵלַ֥י כָּל־הַ֝יּ֗וֹם אַיֵּ֥ה אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ׃

³My tears have been my food

both day and night,

while men ask me all day long,

“Where is your God?”

⁴אֵ֤לֶּה אֶזְכְּרָ֨ה׀ וְאֶשְׁפְּכָ֬ה עָלַ֨י׀ נַפְשִׁ֗י כִּ֤י אֶֽעֱבֹ֨ר׀ בַּסָּךְ֮ אֶדַּדֵּ֗ם עַד־בֵּ֥ית אֱלֹ֫הִ֥ים בְּקוֹל־רִנָּ֥ה וְתוֹדָ֗ה הָמ֥וֹן חוֹגֵֽג׃

⁴These things come to mind as I pour out my soul:

how I walked with the multitude,

leading the festive procession to the house of God

with shouts of joy and praise.

⁵מַה־תִּשְׁתּ֬וֹחֲחִ֨י׀ נַפְשִׁי֮ וַתֶּהֱמִ֪י עָ֫לָ֥י הוֹחִ֣ילִי לֵֽ֭אלֹהִים כִּי־ע֥וֹד אוֹדֶ֗נּוּ יְשׁוּע֥וֹת פָּנָֽיו׃

⁵Why are you downcast, O my soul?

Why the unease within me?

Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him

for the salvation of His presence.

⁶אֱ‍ֽלֹהַ֗י עָלַי֮ נַפְשִׁ֪י תִשְׁתּ֫וֹחָ֥ח עַל־כֵּ֗ן אֶ֭זְכָּרְךָ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ יַרְדֵּ֑ן וְ֝חֶרְמוֹנִ֗ים מֵהַ֥ר מִצְעָֽר׃

⁶O my God, my soul despairs within me.

Therefore I remember You

from the land of Jordan and the peaks of Hermon—

even from Mount Mizar.

⁷תְּהֽוֹם־אֶל־תְּה֣וֹם ק֭וֹרֵא לְק֣וֹל צִנּוֹרֶ֑יךָ כָּֽל־מִשְׁבָּרֶ֥יךָ וְ֝גַלֶּ֗יךָ עָלַ֥י עָבָֽרוּ׃

⁷Deep calls to deep

in the roar of Your waterfalls;

all Your breakers and waves

have rolled over me.

⁸יוֹמָ֤ם׀ יְצַוֶּ֬ה יְהוָ֨ה׀ חַסְדּ֗וֹ וּ֭בַלַּיְלָה שִׁירָהּ עִמִּ֑י תְּ֝פִלָּ֗ה לְאֵ֣ל חַיָּֽי׃

⁸The LORD decrees His loving devotion by day,

and at night His song is with me

as a prayer to the God of my life.

⁹אוֹמְרָ֤ה׀ לְאֵ֥ל סַלְעִי֮ לָמָ֪ה שְׁכַ֫חְתָּ֥נִי לָֽמָּה־קֹדֵ֥ר אֵלֵ֗ךְ בְּלַ֣חַץ אוֹיֵֽב׃

⁹I say to God my Rock,

“Why have You forgotten me?

Why must I walk in sorrow

because of the enemy’s oppression?”

¹⁰בְּרֶ֤צַח׀ בְּֽעַצְמוֹתַ֗י חֵרְפ֥וּנִי צוֹרְרָ֑י בְּאָמְרָ֥ם אֵלַ֥י כָּל־הַ֝יּ֗וֹם אַיֵּ֥ה אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ׃

¹⁰Like the crushing of my bones,

my enemies taunt me,

while they say to me all day long,

“Where is your God?”

¹¹מַה־תִּשְׁתּ֬וֹחֲחִ֨י׀ נַפְשִׁי֮ וּֽמַה־תֶּהֱמִ֪י עָ֫לָ֥י הוֹחִ֣ילִי לֵֽ֭אלֹהִים כִּי־ע֣וֹד אוֹדֶ֑נּוּ יְשׁוּעֹ֥ת פָּ֝נַ֗י וֵֽאלֹהָֽי׃

¹¹Why are you downcast, O my soul?

Why the unease within me?

Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him,

my Savior and my God.