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Psalm 13
New American Standard Bible

Prayer for Help in Trouble.

For the music director. A Psalm of David.

13 How long, Lord? Will You (A)forget me forever?
How long (B)will You hide Your face from me?
2 How long am I to (C)feel anxious in my soul,
With (D)grief in my heart all the day?
How long will my enemy be exalted over me?

3 (E)Consider and answer me, O Lord my God;
(F)Enlighten my eyes, or I will (G)sleep the sleep of death,
4 And my enemy will (H)say, “I have overcome him,”
And (I)my adversaries will rejoice when I am shaken.

5 But I have (J)trusted in Your faithfulness;
My heart shall (K)rejoice in Your salvation.
6 I will (L)sing to the Lord,
Because He has (M)looked after me.

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Psalm 13
New English Translation

Psalm 13[a]

For the music director, a psalm of David.

13 How long, Lord, will you continue to ignore me?[b]
How long will you pay no attention to me?[c]
2 How long must I worry,[d]
and suffer in broad daylight?[e]
How long will my enemy gloat over me?[f]
3 Look at me![g] Answer me, O Lord my God!
Revive me,[h] or else I will die.[i]
4 Then[j] my enemy will say, “I have defeated him.”
Then[k] my foes will rejoice because I am shaken.
5 But I[l] trust in your faithfulness.
May I rejoice because of your deliverance.[m]
6 I will sing praises[n] to the Lord
when he vindicates me.[o]

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 13:1 sn Psalm 13. The psalmist, who is close to death, desperately pleads for God’s deliverance and affirms his trust in God’s faithfulness.
  2. Psalm 13:1 tn Heb “will you forget me continually.”
  3. Psalm 13:1 tn Heb “will you hide your face from me.”
  4. Psalm 13:2 tn Heb “How long will I put counsel in my being?”
  5. Psalm 13:2 tn Heb “[with] grief in my heart by day.”
  6. Psalm 13:2 tn Heb “be exalted over me.” Perhaps one could translate, “How long will my enemy defeat me?”
  7. Psalm 13:3 tn Heb “see.”
  8. Psalm 13:3 tn Heb “Give light [to] my eyes.” The Hiphil of אוּר (ʾur), when used elsewhere with “eyes” as object, refers to the law of God giving moral enlightenment (Ps 19:8), to God the creator giving literal eyesight to all people (Prov 29:13), and to God giving encouragement to his people (Ezra 9:8). Here the psalmist pictures himself as being on the verge of death. His eyes are falling shut and, if God does not intervene soon, he will “fall asleep” for good.
  9. Psalm 13:3 tn Heb “or else I will sleep [in?] the death.” Perhaps the statement is elliptical, “I will sleep [the sleep] of death,” or “I will sleep [with the sleepers in] death.”
  10. Psalm 13:4 tn Heb “or else.”
  11. Psalm 13:4 tn Heb “or else.”
  12. Psalm 13:5 tn The grammatical construction used here (conjunction with independent pronoun) highlights the contrast between the psalmist’s defeated condition envisioned in v. 4 and confident attitude he displays in v. 5.
  13. Psalm 13:5 tn Heb “may my heart rejoice in your deliverance.” The verb form is jussive. Having expressed his trust in God’s faithful character and promises, the psalmist prays that his confidence will prove to be well-placed. “Heart” is used here of the seat of the emotions.
  14. Psalm 13:6 tn The verb form is cohortative, indicating the psalmist’s resolve (or vow) to praise the Lord when deliverance arrives.
  15. Psalm 13:6 tn Or “for he will have vindicated me.” The verb form indicates a future perfect here. The idiom גָמַל עַל (gamal ʿal) means “to repay,” here in a positive sense.
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Psalm 13
New International Version

Psalm 13[a]

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

1 How long,(A) Lord? Will you forget me(B) forever?
    How long will you hide your face(C) from me?
2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts(D)
    and day after day have sorrow in my heart?
    How long will my enemy triumph over me?(E)

3 Look on me(F) and answer,(G) Lord my God.
    Give light to my eyes,(H) or I will sleep in death,(I)
4 and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,(J)”
    and my foes will rejoice when I fall.(K)

5 But I trust in your unfailing love;(L)
    my heart rejoices in your salvation.(M)
6 I will sing(N) the Lord’s praise,
    for he has been good to me.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 13:1 In Hebrew texts 13:1-6 is numbered 13:2-6.
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Psalm 13
New American Bible (Revised Edition)

Psalm 13[a]

Prayer for Help

1 For the leader. A psalm of David.

I

2 How long, Lord? Will you utterly forget me?
    How long will you hide your face from me?(A)
3 How long must I carry sorrow in my soul,
    grief in my heart day after day?
    How long will my enemy triumph over me?

II

4 Look upon me, answer me, Lord, my God!
    Give light to my eyes lest I sleep in death,
5 Lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed,”
    lest my foes rejoice at my downfall.(B)

III

6 But I trust in your mercy.
    Grant my heart joy in your salvation,
I will sing to the Lord,
    for he has dealt bountifully with me!(C)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 13 A typical lament, in which the psalmist feels forgotten by God (Ps 13:2–3)—note the force of the repetition of “How long.” The references to enemies may suggest some have wished evil on the psalmist. The heartfelt prayer (Ps 13:4–5) passes on a statement of trust (Ps 13:6a), intended to reinforce the prayer, and a vow to thank God when deliverance has come (Ps 13:6b).
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