As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, my God.
² My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?
³ My tears have been my food
day and night,
while people say to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”
⁴ These things I remember
as I pour out my soul:
how I used to go to the house of God
under the protection of the Mighty One
with shouts of joy and praise
among the festive throng.
⁵ Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.
⁶ My soul is downcast within me;
therefore I will remember you
from the land of the Jordan,
the heights of Hermon —from Mount Mizar.
⁷ Deep calls to deep
in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
have swept over me.
⁸ By day the LORD directs his love,
at night his song is with me—
a prayer to the God of my life.
⁹ I say to God my Rock,
“Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I go about mourning,
oppressed by the enemy?”
¹⁰ My bones suffer mortal agony
as my foes taunt me,
saying to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”
¹¹ Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.

Psalm 42

My soul is like a thirsty deer

That pants for cooling streams:

I thirst for you, the living God,

I long to hear your healing word,

But you’re not there, it seems.

Both day and night I weep for help;

My foes keep poking fun,

“Where is this God?”  they taunt and jeer,

But O, my soul, you must not fear —

Your vict’ry will be won.

Remember (O, can I forget?)

Those celebration days!

You led the great procession to

The temple, yes, my soul, ‘twas you

That sang with joy and praise.

And now, my soul, why are you sad?

Why downcast and depressed?

Hope still in God, yes, I shall raise

My heart to Him in fervent praise —

His help will give me rest.

Yet at this moment, filled with gloom,

Discouraged, here I stand;

I choose to turn my thoughts to you,

To praise for help and blessings too

On this, your lovely land.

For floods of grief break over me

Like waves upon the shore;

Yet, day by day your steadfast love

Is lavished on me from above;

I could not ask for more.

And, sleepless, through the night I sing

Your songs of love and grace;

I pray to God who gives me life,

Who comes to help me in the strife;

O, show your lovely face.

“O God, my rock,”  I cry to you,

“Why have you left me, why?

Why must I suffer waves of scorn?

I feel forsaken, so forlorn;

O listen to my cry!”

They pierce with taunts like sharpened swords,

They scoff, “Where is this God?”

My soul, take heart and trust in Him

Let not you faith and hope grow dim,

For yet you’ll praise the Lord.