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. A PSALM OF THE SONS OF KORAH. TO THE OVERSEER. [SET] ON “SICKNESS TO AFFLICT.” AN INSTRUCTION OF HEMAN THE EZRAHITE. O YHWH, God of my salvation, Daily I have cried, nightly before You,
2 May my prayer come before You; incline Your ear to my cry.
My prayer comes in before You, Incline Your ear to my loud cry,
For my soul has been full of evils, And my life has come to Sheol. (Sheol h7585)
4 I am counted among those descending to the Pit. I am like a man without strength.
I have been reckoned with those going down [to] the pit, I have been as a man without strength.
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.
Among the dead—free, As pierced ones lying in the grave, Whom You have not remembered anymore, Indeed, they have been cut off by Your hand.
6 You have laid me in the lowest Pit, in the darkest of the depths.
You have put me in the lowest pit, In dark places, in depths.
7 Your wrath weighs heavily upon me; all Your waves have submerged me.
Your fury has lain on me, And You have afflicted [with] all Your breakers. (Selah)
8 You have removed my friends from me; You have made me repulsive to them; I am confined and cannot escape.
You have put my acquaintance far from me, You have made me an abomination to them, Shut up—I do not 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 has grieved because of affliction, I called You, O YHWH, all the day, I have spread out my hands to You.
10 Do You work wonders for the dead? Do departed spirits rise up to praise You?
Do You do wonders to the dead? Does Rephaim rise? Do they thank You? (Selah)
11 Can Your loving devotion be proclaimed in the grave, Your faithfulness in Abaddon?
Is Your kindness recounted in the grave? Your faithfulness in destruction?
12 Will Your wonders be known in the darkness, or Your righteousness in the land of oblivion?
Are Your wonders known in the darkness? And Your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?
13 But to You, O LORD, I cry for help; in the morning my prayer comes before You.
And I, to You, O YHWH, I have cried, And in the morning my prayer comes before You.
14 Why, O LORD, do You reject me? Why do You hide Your face from me?
Why, O YHWH, do You cast off my soul? You hide Your 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 expiring from youth, I have borne Your terrors—I pine away.
16 Your wrath has swept over me; Your terrors have destroyed me.
Your wrath has passed over me, Your terrors have cut me off,
17 All day long they engulf me like water; they enclose me on every side.
They have surrounded me as waters all the day, They have gone around against me together,
18 You have removed my beloved and my friend; darkness is my closest companion.
You have put lover and friend far from me, My acquaintance [is] the place of darkness!
