Psalms 88
1 A song. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. For the choirmaster. According to Mahalath Leannoth. A Maskil of Heman the Ezrahite. O LORD, the God of my salvation, day and night I cry out before You.
“A song or psalm of the sons of Korach, to the chief musician upon Machalath-le'annoth, a Maskil of Heman the Ezrachite.” O Lord the God of my salvation, by day do I cry, [and] at night I am before thee.
2 May my prayer come before You; incline Your ear to my cry.
Let my prayer come unto thy presence; incline thy ear unto my entreaty.
For my soul is sated with troubles; and my life draweth nigh unto the nether world. (Sheol h7585)
4 I am counted among those descending to the Pit. I am like a man without strength.
I am counted with those that descend into the pit; I am become as a man without vigor:
5 I am forsaken among the dead, like the slain who lie in the grave, whom You remember no more, who are cut off from Your care.
Free among the dead, like the slain that dwell in the grave, whom thou rememberest no more; and those that are cut off by thy hand.
6 You have laid me in the lowest Pit, in the darkest of the depths.
Thou hast laid me in the pit of the lower world, in darkness, in the depths.
7 Your wrath weighs heavily upon me; all Your waves have submerged me.
Upon me lieth heavily thy fury, and with all thy billows hast thou afflicted me. (Selah)
8 You have removed my friends from me; You have made me repulsive to them; I am confined and cannot escape.
Thou hast removed my acquaintances far from me; thou hast rendered me an abomination unto them: I am imprisoned, and I cannot go forth.
9 My eyes grow dim with grief. I call to You daily, O LORD; I spread out my hands to You.
My eye languisheth by reason of affliction: I call on thee, O Lord, every day, I stretch out unto thee my hands.
10 Do You work wonders for the dead? Do departed spirits rise up to praise You?
Wilt thou display wonders to the dead? shall the departed arise [and] thank thee? (Selah)
11 Can Your loving devotion be proclaimed in the grave, Your faithfulness in Abaddon?
Shall thy kindness be related in the grave? thy faithfulness in the place of corruption?
12 Will Your wonders be known in the darkness, or Your righteousness in the land of oblivion?
Shall thy wonders be acknowledged in the darkness? and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?
13 But to You, O LORD, I cry for help; in the morning my prayer comes before You.
Yet I cry indeed aloud unto thee, O Lord; and in the morning shall my prayer come before thee.
14 Why, O LORD, do You reject me? Why do You hide Your face from me?
Why, O Lord, wilt thou cast off my soul? [why] wilt thou hide thy face from me?
15 From my youth I was afflicted and near death. I have borne Your terrors; I am in despair.
I am afflicted and perishing from my youth up: I bear thy terrors, I am distracted.
16 Your wrath has swept over me; Your terrors have destroyed me.
Over me have the fires of thy wrath passed; thy terrors have destroyed me;
17 All day long they engulf me like water; they enclose me on every side.
They encompass me like water all the time; they have closed in round about me together.
18 You have removed my beloved and my friend; darkness is my closest companion.
Thou hast removed far from me lover and friend, my acquaintances [are in] darkness.
