How Long, O Lord?
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
1 vHow long, O Lord? Will you wforget me forever?
How long will you xhide your face from me?
2 How long must I take ycounsel in my soul
and have sorrow in my heart all the day?
How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?
3 zConsider and answer me, O Lord my God;
alight up my eyes, lest bI sleep the sleep of death,
4 clest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,”
lest my foes rejoice because I am dshaken.
5 But I have etrusted in your steadfast love;
my heart shall frejoice in your salvation.
6 I will sing to the Lord,
because he has dealt bountifully with me.
The Lord Is My Light and My Salvation
Of David.
1 The Lord is my hlight and my isalvation;
jwhom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold1 of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?
2 When evildoers assail me
to keat up my flesh,
my adversaries and foes,
it is they who stumble and fall.
3 lThough an army encamp against me,
my heart shall not fear;
though war arise against me,
yet2 I will be confident.
4 mOne thing have I asked of the Lord,
that will I seek after:
that I may ndwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon othe beauty of the Lord
and to inquire3 in his temple.
5 For he will phide me in his shelter
in the day of trouble;
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
he will qlift me high upon a rock.
6 And now my rhead shall be lifted up
above my enemies all around me,
and I will offer in his tent
sacrifices with shouts of sjoy;
tI will sing and make melody to the Lord.
7 uHear, O Lord, when I cry aloud;
be gracious to me and answer me!
8 You have said, v“Seek4 my face.”
My heart says to you,
“Your face, Lord, do I seek.”5
9 wHide not your face from me.
Turn not your servant away in anger,
O you who have been my help.
Cast me not off; forsake me not,
xO God of my salvation!
10 For ymy father and my mother have forsaken me,
but the Lord will ztake me in.
11 aTeach me your way, O Lord,
and lead me on ba level path
because of my enemies.
12 cGive me not up to the will of my adversaries;
for dfalse witnesses have risen against me,
and they ebreathe out violence.
13 I believe that I shall look6 upon fthe goodness of the Lord
in gthe land of the living!
14 hWait for the Lord;
ibe strong, and let your heart take courage;
wait for the Lord!
Book Two
Why Are You Cast Down, O My Soul?
To the choirmaster. A Maskil1 of sthe Sons of Korah.
1 tAs a deer pants for flowing streams,
so pants my soul for you, O God.
2 uMy soul thirsts for God,
for vthe living God.
When shall I come and wappear before God?2
3 xMy tears have been my food
day and night,
ywhile they say to me all the day long,
“Where is your God?”
4 These things I remember,
as I zpour out my soul:
ahow I would go bwith the throng
and lead them in procession to the house of God
with glad shouts and songs of praise,
ca multitude keeping festival.
5 dWhy are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you ein turmoil within me?
fHope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my salvation3 6 and my God.
My soul is cast down within me;
therefore I gremember you
hfrom the land of Jordan and of iHermon,
from Mount Mizar.
7 Deep calls to deep
at the roar of your waterfalls;
jall your breakers and your kwaves
have gone over me.
8 By day the Lord lcommands his steadfast love,
and at mnight his song is with me,
a prayer to the God of my life.
9 I say to God, nmy rock:
“Why have you forgotten me?
oWhy do I go mourning
because of the oppression of the enemy?”
10 As with a deadly wound in my bones,
my adversaries taunt me,
pwhile they say to me all the day long,
“Where is your God?”
11 qWhy 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.