Psalm 42 - English Standard Version (ESV)

Book Two

Why Are You Cast Down, O My Soul?

To the choirmaster. A Maskil[a] of (A)the Sons of Korah.

42 (B)As a deer pants for flowing streams,
so pants my soul for you, O God.
2 (C)My soul thirsts for God,
for (D)the living God.
When shall I come and (E)appear before God?[b]
3 (F)My tears have been my food
day and night,
(G)while they say to me all the day long,
“Where is your God?”
4 These things I remember,
as I (H)pour out my soul:
(I)how I would go (J)with the throng
and lead them in procession to the house of God
with glad shouts and songs of praise,
(K)a multitude keeping festival.

5 (L)Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you (M)in turmoil within me?
(N)Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my salvation[c] 6 and my God.

My soul is cast down within me;
therefore I (O)remember you
(P)from the land of Jordan and of (Q)Hermon,
from Mount Mizar.
7 Deep calls to deep
at the roar of your waterfalls;
(R)all your breakers and your (S)waves
have gone over me.
8 By day the Lord (T)commands his steadfast love,
and at (U)night his song is with me,
a prayer to the God of my life.
9 I say to God, (V)my rock:
“Why have you forgotten me?
(W)Why do I go mourning
because of the oppression of the enemy?”
10 As with a deadly wound in my bones,
my adversaries taunt me,
(X)while they say to me all the day long,
“Where is your God?”

11 (Y)Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my salvation and my God.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 42:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
  2. Psalm 42:2 Revocalization yields and see the face of God
  3. Psalm 42:5 Hebrew the salvation of my face; also verse 11 and 43:5

Cross references

  1. Psalm 42:1 : 1 Chr. 6:33, 37
  2. Psalm 42:1 : [Joel 1:20]
  3. Psalm 42:2 : Ps. 63:1; John 7:37; [Isa. 41:17; 55:1]; See Ps. 84:2
  4. Psalm 42:2 : Ps. 84:2; Josh. 3:10; Dan. 6:26
  5. Psalm 42:2 : Ps. 84:7; [Ex. 23:17]
  6. Psalm 42:3 : Ps. 80:5; 102:9
  7. Psalm 42:3 : ver. 10; Ps. 79:10; 115:2; Joel 2:17; Mic. 7:10
  8. Psalm 42:4 : Ps. 62:8; 1 Sam. 1:15; Job 30:16; Lam. 2:19
  9. Psalm 42:4 : [Isa. 30:29]
  10. Psalm 42:4 : Ps. 55:14
  11. Psalm 42:4 : [2 Sam. 6:15]
  12. Psalm 42:5 : ver. 11; Ps. 43:5; [Matt. 26:38; John 12:27]
  13. Psalm 42:5 : Ps. 77:3
  14. Psalm 42:5 : Lam. 3:24
  15. Psalm 42:6 : Jonah 2:7
  16. Psalm 42:6 : 2 Sam. 17:22, 24
  17. Psalm 42:6 : Deut. 3:9
  18. Psalm 42:7 : Jonah 2:3
  19. Psalm 42:7 : Ps. 88:7; See Ps. 32:6
  20. Psalm 42:8 : Ps. 44:4; 68:28; 71:3; 133:3
  21. Psalm 42:8 : Job 35:10; [Ps. 4:4; 16:7; 63:6; 77:6; 119:55, 62, 148; 149:5]
  22. Psalm 42:9 : See Ps. 18:2; 2 Sam. 22:2
  23. Psalm 42:9 : Ps. 38:6; 43:2
  24. Psalm 42:10 : See ver. 3
  25. Psalm 42:11 : See ver. 5

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