Psalm 42


Why Are You Cast Down, O My Soul?

To the choirmaster. A Maskil1 of athe Sons of Korah.

bAs a deer pants for flowing streams,
so pants my soul for you, O God.

2
aMy soul thirsts for God,
for bthe living God.
When shall I come and cappear before God?1

3
aMy tears have been my food
day and night,
bwhile they say to me all the day long,
“Where is your God?”

4
These things I remember,
as I apour out my soul:
bhow I would go cwith the throng
and lead them in procession to the house of God
with glad shouts and songs of praise,
da multitude keeping festival.


5
aWhy are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you bin turmoil within me?
cHope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my salvation1

6
and my God.

My soul is cast down within me;
therefore I aremember you
bfrom the land of Jordan and of cHermon,
from Mount Mizar.

7
Deep calls to deep
at the roar of your waterfalls;
aall your breakers and your bwaves
have gone over me.

8
By day the Lord acommands his steadfast love,
and at bnight his song is with me,
a prayer to the God of my life.

9
I say to God, amy rock:
“Why have you forgotten me?
bWhy do I go mourning
because of the oppression of the enemy?”

10
As with a deadly wound in my bones,
my adversaries taunt me,
awhile they say to me all the day long,
“Where is your God?”


11
aWhy 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.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway,
a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.