22 Heb “my voice.”
23 Heb “concerning you my heart says, ‘Seek my face.’ ” The verb form “seek” is plural, but this makes no sense here, for the psalmist is addressed. The verb should be emended to a singular form. The first person pronominal suffix on “face” also makes little sense, unless it is the voice of the Lord he hears. His “heart” is viewed as speaking, however, so it is better to emend the form to פָּנָיו (panayv, “his face”).
24 Heb “your face, O Lord, I seek.” To “seek the Lord’s face” means to seek his favor through prayer (see 2 Sam 21:1; Pss 24:6; 105:4).
25 Heb “do not hide your face from me.” The idiom “hide the face” can mean “ignore” (see Pss 10:11; 13:1; 51:9) or carry the stronger idea of “reject” (see Pss 30:7; 88:14).
26 Or “[source of] help.”
27 Or “though my father and mother have abandoned me.”
28 Heb “gather me in”; or “receive me.”
29 Heb “teach me your way.” The Lord’s “way” refers here to the moral principles which he expects the psalmist to follow. See Ps 25:4.
30 The level path refers to God’s moral principles (see the parallel line), which, if followed, will keep the psalmist blameless before his accusers (see v. 12).
31 Heb “because of those who watch me [with evil intent].” See also Pss 5:8; 54:5; 56:2.
32 Heb “do not give me over to the desire of my enemies.”
33 Heb “for they have risen up against me, lying witnesses and a testifier of violence.” The form יָפֵחַ (yafeakh) is traditionally understood as a verb meaning “snort, breathe out”: “for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty” (; cf. 422 ). A better option is to take the form as a noun meaning “a witness” (or “testifier”). See Prov 6:19; 12:17; 14:5, 25; 19:5, 9, and Hab 2:3.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud;

be gracious to me and answer me!

You have said, “Seek my face.”

My heart says to you,

“Your face, Lord, do I seek.”

Hide 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,

O God of my salvation!

For my father and my mother have forsaken me,

but the Lord will take me in.

Teach me your way, O Lord,

and lead me on a level path

because of my enemies.

Give me not up to the will of my adversaries;

for false witnesses have risen against me,

and they breathe out violence.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

Hear my voice when I call, Lord;

be merciful to me and answer me.

My heart says of you, “Seek his face!”

Your face, Lord, I will seek.

Do not hide your face from me,

do not turn your servant away in anger;

you have been my helper.

Do not reject me or forsake me,

God my Savior.

Though my father and mother forsake me,

the Lord will receive me.

Teach me your way, Lord;

lead me in a straight path

because of my oppressors.

Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,

for false witnesses rise up against me,

spouting malicious accusations.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Lord, hear my voice when I call;

be gracious to me and answer me.

My heart says this about you:

“Seek his face.”

Lord, I will seek your face.

Do not hide your face from me;

do not turn your servant away in anger.

You have been my helper;

do not leave me or abandon me,

God of my salvation.

Even if my father and mother abandon me,

the Lord cares for me.

Because of my adversaries,

show me your way, Lord,

and lead me on a level path.

Do not give me over to the will of my foes,

for false witnesses rise up against me,

breathing violence.

NLTNew Living Translation

Hear me as I pray, O Lord.

Be merciful and answer me!

My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.”

And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.”

Do not turn your back on me.

Do not reject your servant in anger.

You have always been my helper.

Don’t leave me now; don’t abandon me,

O God of my salvation!

Even if my father and mother abandon me,

the Lord will hold me close.

Teach me how to live, O Lord.

Lead me along the right path,

for my enemies are waiting for me.

Do not let me fall into their hands.

For they accuse me of things I’ve never done;

with every breath they threaten me with violence.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

Hear, O Yahweh, my voice when I call,

and be gracious to me and answer me.

On your behalf my heart says, “Seek my face.”

Your face, O Yahweh, I do seek.

Do not hide your face from me;

do not turn your servant away in anger.

You have been my help; do not abandon nor forsake me,

O God of my salvation.

If my father or my mother forsake me,

then Yahweh will receive me.

Teach me, O Yahweh, your way,

and lead me on a level path because of my enemies.

Do not give me over to the desire of my enemies,

because false witnesses have arisen against me,

and each breathing out violence.

KJV 1900King James Version

Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice:

Have mercy also upon me, and answer me.

When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee,

Thy face, Lord, will I seek.

Hide not thy face far from me;

Put not thy servant away in anger:

Thou hast been my help; leave me not,

Neither forsake me, O God of my salvation.

When my father and my mother forsake me,

Then the Lord will take me up.

Teach me thy way, O Lord,

And lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies.

Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies:

For false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty.

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