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, by sons of Korah, to the Overseer, 'Concerning the Sickness of Afflictions.' — An instruction, by Heman the Ezrahite. O Jehovah, God of my salvation, Daily I have cried, nightly before Thee,
2 May my prayer come before You; incline Your ear to my cry.
My prayer cometh in before Thee, Incline Thine ear to my loud cry,
For my soul hath been full of evils, And my life hath 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 Thou hast not remembered any more, Yea, they by Thy hand have been cut off.
6 You have laid me in the lowest Pit, in the darkest of the depths.
Thou hast put me in the lowest pit, In dark places, in depths.
7 Your wrath weighs heavily upon me; all Your waves have submerged me.
Upon me hath Thy fury lain, And [with] all Thy breakers Thou hast afflicted. (Selah)
8 You have removed my friends from me; You have made me repulsive to them; I am confined and cannot escape.
Thou hast put mine acquaintance far from me, Thou hast made me an abomination to them, Shut up — I go not forth.
9 My eyes grow dim with grief. I call to You daily, O LORD; I spread out my hands to You.
Mine eye hath grieved because of affliction, I called Thee, O Jehovah, all the day, I have spread out unto Thee my hands.
10 Do You work wonders for the dead? Do departed spirits rise up to praise You?
To the dead dost Thou do wonders? Do Rephaim rise? do they thank Thee? (Selah)
11 Can Your loving devotion be proclaimed in the grave, Your faithfulness in Abaddon?
Is Thy kindness recounted in the grave? Thy faithfulness in destruction?
12 Will Your wonders be known in the darkness, or Your righteousness in the land of oblivion?
Are Thy wonders known 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.
And I, unto Thee, O Jehovah, I have cried, And in the morning doth my prayer come before Thee.
14 Why, O LORD, do You reject me? Why do You hide Your face from me?
Why, O Jehovah, castest Thou off my soul? Thou hidest 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 expiring from youth, I have borne Thy terrors — I pine away.
16 Your wrath has swept over me; Your terrors have destroyed me.
Over me hath Thy wrath passed, Thy 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 round against me together,
18 You have removed my beloved and my friend; darkness is my closest companion.
Thou hast put far from me lover and friend, Mine acquaintance [is] the place of darkness!
