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:
O lord God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before you:
2 Let my prayer come before you; give ear to my cry:
Let my prayer come before you: incline your ear to my cry;
For my soul is full of troubles: and my life draws near to the grave. (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 with them that go down into the pit: I am as a man that has no 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.
Free among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, whom you remember no more: and they are cut off from your hand.
6 You have put me in the lowest deep, even in dark places.
You have laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps.
7 The weight of your wrath is crushing me, all your waves have overcome me. (Selah)
Your wrath lies hard on me, and you have afflicted me with all your waves. (Selah)
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 put away my acquaintance far from me; you have made me an abomination to them: I am shut up, and I cannot come forth.
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 eye mourns by reason of affliction: LORD, I have called daily on you, I have stretched 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)
Will you show wonders to the dead? shall the dead arise and praise you? (Selah)
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?
Shall your loving kindness be declared in the grave? or your faithfulness in destruction?
12 May there be knowledge of your wonders in the dark? or of your righteousness where memory is dead?
Shall your wonders be known in the dark? and your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?
13 But to you did I send up my cry, O Lord; in the morning my prayer came before you.
But to you have I cried, O LORD; and in the morning shall my prayer prevent you.
14 Lord, why have you sent away my soul? why is your face covered from me?
LORD, why cast you off my soul? why hide you 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.
I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up: while I suffer your terrors I am distracted.
16 The heat of your wrath has gone over me; I am broken by your cruel punishments.
Your fierce wrath goes over me; your terrors have cut me off.
17 They are round me all the day like water; they have made a circle about me.
They came round about me daily like water; they compassed me about together.
18 You have sent my friends and lovers far from me; I am gone from the memory of those who are dear to me.
Lover and friend have you put far from me, and my acquaintance into darkness.
