Psalms 88
1 A Song. A Psalm. Of the sons of Korah. To the chief music-maker; put to Mahalath Leannoth. Maschil. Of Heman the Ezrahite. O Lord, God of my salvation, I have been crying to you for help by day and by night:
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.
2 Let my prayer come before you; give ear to my cry:
May my prayer come before You; incline Your ear to my cry.
For my soul is full of troubles, and my life draws near to Sheol. (Sheol h7585)
4 I am numbered among those who go down into the earth; I have become like a man for whom there is no help:
I am counted among those descending to the Pit. I am like a man without strength.
5 My soul is among the dead, like those in the underworld, to whom you give no more thought; for they are cut off from your care.
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.
6 You have put me in the lowest deep, even in dark places.
You have laid me in the lowest Pit, in the darkest of the depths.
7 The weight of your wrath is crushing me, all your waves have overcome me. (Selah)
Your wrath weighs heavily upon me; all Your waves have submerged me.
8 You have sent my friends far away from me; you have made me a disgusting thing in their eyes: I am shut up, and not able to come out.
You have removed my friends from me; You have made me repulsive to them; I am confined and cannot escape.
9 My eyes are wasting away because of my trouble: Lord, my cry has gone up to you every day, my hands are stretched out to you.
My eyes grow dim with grief. I call to You daily, O LORD; I spread out my hands to You.
10 Will you do works of wonder for the dead? will the shades come back to give you praise? (Selah)
Do You work wonders for the dead? Do departed spirits rise up to praise You?
11 Will the story of your mercy be given in the house of the dead? will news of your faith come to the place of destruction?
Can Your loving devotion be proclaimed in the grave, Your faithfulness in Abaddon?
12 May there be knowledge of your wonders in the dark? or of your righteousness where memory is dead?
Will Your wonders be known in the darkness, or Your righteousness in the land of oblivion?
13 But to you did I send up my cry, O Lord; in the morning my prayer came before you.
But to You, O LORD, I cry for help; in the morning my prayer comes before You.
14 Lord, why have you sent away my soul? why is your face covered from me?
Why, O LORD, do You reject me? Why do You hide Your face from me?
15 I have been troubled and in fear of death from the time when I was young; your wrath is hard on me, and I have no strength.
From my youth I was afflicted and near death. I have borne Your terrors; I am in despair.
16 The heat of your wrath has gone over me; I am broken by your cruel punishments.
Your wrath has swept over me; Your terrors have destroyed me.
17 They are round me all the day like water; they have made a circle about me.
All day long they engulf me like water; they enclose me on every side.
18 You have sent my friends and lovers far from me; I am gone from the memory of those who are dear to me.
You have removed my beloved and my friend; darkness is my closest companion.
