CORPUS-PSALTERIUMVol. II
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Corpus Psalterium · Vol. II

Psalm XLII (42)

Cantillated — Refrain Lament Turning

Paul Whitehorn

0:004:57
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Psalm 42 in Hebrew and English, and the words as they are sung.

Heb 1

For the Chief Musician. A contemplation by the sons of Korah.

לַמְנַצֵּ֗חַ מַשְׂכִּ֥יל לִבְנֵי־קֹֽרַח׃

1Heb 2

As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants after you, God.

כְּאַיָּ֗ל תַּעֲרֹ֥ג עַל־אֲפִֽיקֵי־מָ֑יִם כֵּ֤ן נַפְשִׁ֨י תַעֲרֹ֖ג אֵלֶ֣יךָ אֱלֹהִֽים׃

2Heb 3

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?

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

3Heb 4

My tears have been my food day and night, while they continually ask me, “Where is your God?”

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

4Heb 5

These things I remember, and pour out my soul within me, how I used to go with the crowd, and led them to God’s house, with the voice of joy and praise, a multitude keeping a holy day.

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

5Heb 6

Why are you in despair, my soul? Why are you disturbed within me? Hope in God! For I shall still praise him for the saving help of his presence.

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

6Heb 7

My God, my soul is in despair within me. Therefore I remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon, from the hill Mizar.

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

7Heb 8

Deep calls to deep at the noise of your waterfalls. All your waves and your billows have swept over me.

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

8Heb 9

Yahweh will command his loving kindness in the daytime. In the night his song shall be with me: a prayer to the God of my life.

יוֹמָ֤ם ׀ יְצַוֶּ֬ה יְהוָ֨ה ׀ חַסְדּ֗וֹ וּ֭בַלַּיְלָה שירה עִמִּ֑י תְּ֝פִלָּ֗ה לְאֵ֣ל חַיָּֽי׃

9Heb 10

I will ask God, my rock, “Why have you forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?”

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

10Heb 11

As with a sword in my bones, my adversaries reproach me, while they continually ask me, “Where is your God?”

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

11Heb 12

Why are you in despair, my soul? Why are you disturbed within me? Hope in God! For I shall still praise him, the saving help of my countenance, and my God.

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

Hebrew: Westminster Leningrad Codex (public domain), from the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible. English: World English Bible (public domain). Verse numbers follow the English Bible; the Hebrew numbering is shown beneath where it differs.

As the deer longs for water

My soul longs for You

My soul longs for You

My soul thirsts for God

For the living God

When will I come

And see Your face

My tears are my bread

Day and night

They say to me

Where is your God

I remember

I remember

I pour out my soul

Why are you cast down, O my soul

Why are you cast down

Hope in God

Hope in God

I will praise Him again

My salvation, my God

Hope in God

My soul is cast down

I remember You

From Jordan’s land

From Hermon’s heights

Deep calls to deep

At the sound of Your waters

ALL YOUR WAVES

CRASH OVER ME

By day You command love

By night a song is with me

A prayer

TO THE GOD OF MY LIFE

Why are you cast down, O my soul

WHY ARE YOU CAST DOWN

Hope in God

HOPE IN GOD

I will praise Him again

I WILL PRAISE HIM AGAIN

My salvation, my God

MY SALVATION, MY GOD

I say to God, my rock

Why have You forgotten me

Why do I walk in sorrow

Under the enemy

Hope in God

Hope in God

Why are you cast down, O my soul

Why are you cast down

Hope in God

HOPE IN GOD

I will praise Him again

I will praise Him again

My salvation, my God

My salvation, my God

My salvation, my God

Hope in God

Lyrics by Paul Whitehorn: a singable English rendering of the Hebrew, as sung on this recording.

Corpus Psalterium sets each psalm to music by its Hebrew grammar. Didactic psalms teach; Cantillated psalms are spoken, sung or performed before God. Hear all 150 psalms free.

About these songs. They are a summary and a commentary on the Psalms, not a word-for-word translation. Read what these songs are →

What These Songs Are, and What They Are Not

These songs are not a word-for-word translation of the Psalms. They were never meant to be. Nor do they try to capture every idea in every psalm. In a song, that would be impossible.

What we have done is capture the essence of each psalm: what matters most in it. Think of each song as a summary. Think of it as a cheat sheet. The purpose of the psalm is still being met. God's word to mankind is still being heard.

Behind many of these lines is word research: deep study of the meaning of the Hebrew. So where a line sounds different from your translation, and you think it is wrong, study it. We believe you will find that the essence of what we sing is true.

The truth is that no one can set the Psalms to music without also becoming a commentator. That is what this is. It is a modern commentary on the Psalms: not only the Psalms themselves, and not only the Psalms being sung. So do not think that every word of the psalm is here. It is not. Read the psalm itself, in full.

Why do this at all? Because we believe God intended humanity to be surrounded by His word. This was always the entertainment He wanted us to have: not hours of television, not a day lost in a phone looking at nonsense. The blessed man of Psalm 1 meditates on God's word day and night. How can we meditate on His word if we do not surround ourselves with it?

As ministers, our first responsibility is to share God's word with people. That is what these songs are for.

Paul Whitehorn