« | Psalm 13 | » |
1 How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me?
2 How long must I plan what to do in my soul, and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long will those who hate me rise above me?
3 Look on me and answer, O Lord, my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep the sleep of death.
4 Or the one who hates me will say, "I have power over him." And those who hate me will be happy when I am shaken.
5 But I have trusted in Your lovingkindness. My heart will be full of joy because You will save me.
6 I will sing to the Lord, because He has been good to me.
The New Life Version (NLV)
The New Life Version (NLV) is a unique English translation of the Bible designed to be exceptionally easy to read and understand. First published in 1969, the NLV was created by Gleason Ledyard, a missionary and linguist, to make the Scriptures accessible to people who have limited English proficiency or are new to the language. Ledyard’s aim was to provide a Bible that even those with minimal education could read and comprehend, thus opening the door for a wider audience to engage with the biblical texts.
A defining characteristic of the New Life Version is its use of a limited vocabulary of about 850 basic English words, along with some necessary theological terms. This restricted vocabulary ensures that the language remains simple and straightforward, making the text accessible to young readers, new Christians, and those for whom English is a second language. The translators also avoided idiomatic expressions and complex sentence structures, further enhancing clarity and understanding. This makes the NLV a particularly valuable resource for educational and missionary work.