“How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?”
— Psalms 13:1
Sadness gets its own vocabulary in the Psalms — tears kept in a bottle, a soul cast down, rivers of waters running down the eyes. These verses treat sadness as an honest condition before God, not a failure of faith. The fifteen verses below are the Bible's direct address to that situation, shown in full KJV text from Psalms 13:1 to Psalms 34:18.
Quick answer: The best-known verse about sadness here is Psalms 13:1: "How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?" Psalms 30:11 follows close behind: "Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness;" Both are public-domain translations, shown in full on the cards below with a modern-English toggle.
How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?
For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. How long, Yahweh? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?
Psalms 13:1
Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness;
You have turned my mourning into dancing for me. You have removed my sackcloth, and clothed me with gladness,
Psalms 30:11
Have mercy upon me, O LORD, for I am in trouble: mine eye is consumed with grief, yea, my soul and my belly.
Have mercy on me, Yahweh, for I am in distress. My eye, my soul, and my body waste away with grief.
Psalms 31:9
My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?
My tears have been my food day and night, while they continually ask me, “Where is your God?”
Psalms 42:3
For my soul is full of troubles: and my life draweth nigh unto the grave.
For my soul is full of troubles. My life draws near to Sheol.
Psalms 88:3
They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.
Those who sow in tears will reap in joy.
Psalms 126:5
A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.
A glad heart makes a cheerful face, but an aching heart breaks the spirit.
Proverbs 15:13
To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.
to provide for those who mourn in Zion, to give to them a garland for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of Yahweh, that he may be glorified.
Isaiah 61:3
Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.
Then Jesus said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with me.”
Matthew 26:38
Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.
Most certainly I tell you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy.
John 16:20
And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.
Therefore you now have sorrow, but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.
John 16:22
Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.
Rejoice with those who rejoice. Weep with those who weep.
Romans 12:15
Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall.
Remember my affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the bitterness.
Lamentations 3:19
And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; neither will there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain any more. The first things have passed away.”
Revelation 21:4
The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
Yahweh is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves those who have a crushed spirit.
Psalms 34:18
These verses are read in the middle of the feeling — not after it has been explained away. That is their design: sadness is named honestly in Scripture before it is redirected, and reading the name is usually the relief. Many readers keep one verse visible during the day and return to the list at night; others read all fifteen slowly, once, and then sit with the one that moved.
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