1 Heb “will you forget me continually.”
2 Heb “will you hide your face from me.”
3 Heb “How long will I put counsel in my being?”
4 Heb “[with] grief in my heart by day.”
5 Heb “be exalted over me.” Perhaps one could translate, “How long will my enemy defeat me?”
6 Heb “see.”
7 Heb “Give light [to] my eyes.” The Hiphil of אוּר (’ur), 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.
8 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.”
9 Heb “or else.”
10 Heb “or else.”
11 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.
12 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.
13 The verb form is cohortative, indicating the psalmist’s resolve (or vow) to praise the Lord when deliverance arrives.
14 Or “for he will have vindicated me.” The verb form indicates a future perfect here. The idiom גָמַל עַל (gamal ’al) means “to repay,” here in a positive sense.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?

How long will you hide your face from me?

How long must I take counsel in my soul

and have sorrow in my heart all the day?

How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?

Consider and answer me, O Lord my God;

light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death,

lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,”

lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken.

But I have trusted in your steadfast love;

my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.

I will sing to the Lord,

because he has dealt bountifully with me.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?

How long will you hide your face from me?

How long must I wrestle with my thoughts

and day after day have sorrow in my heart?

How long will my enemy triumph over me?

Look on me and answer, Lord my God.

Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death,

and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,”

and my foes will rejoice when I fall.

But I trust in your unfailing love;

my heart rejoices in your salvation.

I will sing the Lord’s praise,

for he has been good to me.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

For the choir director. A psalm of David.

How long, Lord? Will you forget me

forever?

How long will you hide your face from me?

How long will I store up anxious concerns within me,

agony in my mind every day?

How long will my enemy dominate me?

Consider me and answer, Lord my God.

Restore brightness to my eyes;

otherwise, I will sleep in death.

My enemy will say, “I have triumphed over him,”

and my foes will rejoice because I am shaken.

But I have trusted in your faithful love;

my heart will rejoice in your deliverance.

I will sing to the Lord

because he has treated me generously.

NLTNew Living Translation

For the choir director: A psalm of David.

O Lord, how long will you forget me? Forever?

How long will you look the other way?

How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul,

with sorrow in my heart every day?

How long will my enemy have the upper hand?

Turn and answer me, O Lord my God!

Restore the sparkle to my eyes, or I will die.

Don’t let my enemies gloat, saying, “We have defeated him!”

Don’t let them rejoice at my downfall.

But I trust in your unfailing love.

I will rejoice because you have rescued me.

I will sing to the Lord

because he is good to me.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

For the music director. A psalm of David.

How long, O Yahweh? Will you forget me forever?

How long will you hide your face from me?

How long must I take counsel in my soul,

and sorrow in my heart all the day?

How long will my enemy be exalted over me?

Consider and answer me, O Yahweh my God.

Give light to my eyes

lest I sleep the sleep of death,

and lest my enemy should say, “I have overcome him,”

lest my enemies rejoice because I am shaken.

But as for me, I have trusted in your steadfast love.

My heart will rejoice in your deliverance.

I will sing to Yahweh

because he has dealt bountifully with me.

KJV 1900King James Version

To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.

How long wilt thou forget me, O Lord? for ever?

How long wilt thou hide thy face from me?

How long shall I take counsel in my soul,

Having sorrow in my heart daily?

How long shall mine enemy be exalted over me?

Consider and hear me, O Lord my God:

Lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;

Lest mine enemy say, I have prevailed against him;

And those that trouble me rejoice when I am moved.

But I have trusted in thy mercy;

My heart shall rejoice in thy salvation.

I will sing unto the Lord, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.

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