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 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 Let my prayer come before you; give 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 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 those that descend into the pit; I am become as a man without vigor:
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 dwell in the grave, whom thou rememberest no more; and those that are cut off by thy hand.
6 You have put me in the lowest deep, even in dark places.
Thou hast laid me in the pit of the lower world, in darkness, in the depths.
7 The weight of your wrath is crushing me, all your waves have overcome me. (Selah)
Upon me lieth heavily thy fury, and with all thy billows hast thou afflicted me. (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.
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 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 languisheth by reason of affliction: I call on thee, O Lord, every day, I stretch out unto thee my hands.
10 Will you do works of wonder for the dead? will the shades come back to give you praise? (Selah)
Wilt thou display wonders to the dead? shall the departed arise [and] thank thee? (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 thy kindness be related in the grave? thy faithfulness in the place of corruption?
12 May there be knowledge of your wonders in the dark? or of your righteousness where memory is dead?
Shall thy wonders be acknowledged in the darkness? and thy 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.
Yet I cry indeed aloud unto thee, O Lord; and in the morning shall my prayer come before thee.
14 Lord, why have you sent away my soul? why is your face covered from me?
Why, O Lord, wilt thou cast off my soul? [why] wilt thou hide thy 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 perishing from my youth up: I bear thy terrors, I am distracted.
16 The heat of your wrath has gone over me; I am broken by your cruel punishments.
Over me have the fires of thy wrath passed; thy terrors have destroyed me;
17 They are round me all the day like water; they have made a circle about me.
They encompass me like water all the time; they have closed in round about me 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.
Thou hast removed far from me lover and friend, my acquaintances [are in] darkness.
