Psalms 13: From Anguish to Trust
Four repeated 'how longs' resolved into a song of joy.
One of the shortest laments in the Psalter, this chapter follows Psalms 12 and opens with David repeating 'how long' four times as he wrestles with sorrow, a hidden God, and a triumphant enemy. He asks to be enlightened before he sleeps the sleep of death.
The `title of the threttenthe salm. To the victorie of Dauid. The vnwise man seide in his herte, God is not. Thei ben corrupt, and ben maad abhomynable in her studies; noon is that doith good, noon is til to oon.
The Lord bihelde fro heuene on the sones of men; that he se, if ony is vndurstondynge, ethir sekynge God.
Alle bowiden awei, togidere thei ben maad vnprofitable; noon is that doth good, noon is `til to oon. The throte of hem is an open sepulcre, thei diden gilefuli with her tungis; the venym of snakis is vndur her lippis. Whos mouth is ful of cursyng and bittirnesse; her feet ben swift to schede out blood. Sorewe and cursidnesse is in the weies of hem, and thei knewen not the weie of pees; the drede of God is not bifor her iyen.
Whether alle men that worchen wickidnesse schulen not knowe; that deuowren my puple, as mete of breed?
Thei clepeden not the Lord; thei trembliden there for dreed, where was no drede;
for the Lord is in a riytful generacioun. Thou hast schent the counsel of a pore man; for the Lord is his hope.
Who schal yyue fro Syon helthe to Israel? Whanne the Lord hath turned awei the caitifte of his puple; Jacob schal `fulli be ioiful, and Israel schal be glad.