The psalmist calls on Yahweh to take action: Arise … lift up thy hand. For Arise see comments on 3.7. The figure “to lift up the hand” may mean either to save (the helpless) or to punish (the oppressor); here the latter is meant. New Jerusalem Bible “Strike at him”; or else “prepare to strike.” Lift up thy hand may sometimes be translated by another metaphor or by a nonmetaphor; for example, “O God, cause them to suffer” or “O God, make them feel pain.”

Forget not: this can be represented by a positive statement, “Take care of,” “Be concerned with.”

The afflicted (“those who are suffering,” Good News Translation) translates “the oppressed” (see comments on “afflicted” in 9.12). Languages which use the expression “to make the wicked suffer” (line a) must avoid giving the impression that the psalmist is asking God in line b to remember these wicked ones. In order to avoid this possible confusion, it may be necessary to say in line b “remember the innocent people who suffer.”

Renounce translates the same verb used in verse 3a and may sometimes be rendered as “to leave behind,” “to turn away from,” or “to let go.”

Call to account translates the verb “to seek.” Here, used of God, it means that God will not require the wicked man to pay for his evil deeds. The structure of verse 13 requires in many languages certain modifications, if it is not to be misleading and difficult to follow. The potential confusion is due to the fact that the statement “He will not punish me” is attached to the double question. In some languages it will be clearer to make each question independent; for example, “Why does the wicked person reject God? Why does he say in his heart that God will not punish him?” Or, using direct discourse, “… say in his heart, ‘God will not punish me.’ ” Another way may be to shift the questions to statements; for example, “The wicked person despises God; he says in his heart that God will not punish him.” A more forceful expression can be “How dare the wicked person despise God and say to himself that God will not punish him!”

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Reyburn, William D. A Handbook on the Book of Psalms. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1991. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .