A psalm written by one of the descendants of Korah for the choir director

42 Deer pant, desiring to drink water from a stream when there is a drought (OR, when they are being pursued by hunters.)

In the same way [SIM], God, I need you very much.

2 I desire to have fellowship with [MET] you, the all-powerful God.

I wonder, “When will I be able to go back to the temple in Israel

and worship in your presence again?”

3 Every day and every night I cry;

it is as though the only thing I have to drink is my tears;

and while I do that, my enemies are continually asking me,

“Why does your god not help you?”

4 I am very distressed [IDM] as I remember

when I went with the crowd of people to the temple in Jerusalem,

leading them as we walked along;

we were all shouting joyfully and singing to thank God for what he had done;

we were a large group who were celebrating.

5 So I say to myself, “◄Why am I sad and discouraged?/I should not be sad and discouraged!► [RHQ]

I confidently expect God to help me,

and again I will praise him,

my God, the one who saves me.”

6 But now, Yahweh, I am very discouraged [IDM],

so I think about you,

even from where the Jordan River gushes out from the bottom of Hermon Mountain and from Mizar Mountain.

7 But here, the great sorrow that I feel is like water that you send down [MET];

it is like a waterfall that tumbles down and floods over me.

8 Yahweh shows me each day that he faithfully loves me,

and each night I sing to him

and pray to him, the God who causes me to live.

9 I say to God, who is like an overhanging rock under which I can hide [MET],

“It seems that you have forgotten me.

I ◄mourn/cry► constantly because my enemies act cruelly toward me” [RHQ].

10 They make fun of me constantly;

they continually ask, “Why does your god not help you?” [RHQ]

And when they insult me like that,

it is like wounds that I feel even in my bones.

11 But I think,

“◄Why am I sad and discouraged?/I should not be sad and discouraged!► [RHQ]

I will confidently expect God to help me,

and I will praise him again,

my God, the one who saves me.”