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 psalm of the sons of Korah. For the leader of the music. Upon wind instruments. A psalm of Heman, the Ezrahite.” O LORD, God of my salvation! To thee do I cry by day, And by night is my prayer before thee!
2 Let my prayer come before you; give ear to my cry:
Let my supplication come before thee; Incline thine ear to my cry!
For my soul is full of misery, And my life draweth near to the underworld. (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 who are going down to the pit; I am like one who hath 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.
I am left to myself among the dead, Like the slain who lie in the grave, Whom thou no more rememberest, And who are cut off from thy [[protecting]] hand.
6 You have put me in the lowest deep, even in dark places.
Thou hast placed me in a deep pit, In a dark and deep abyss.
7 The weight of your wrath is crushing me, all your waves have overcome me. (Selah)
Thy wrath presseth hard upon me, And thou afflictest me with all thy waves! (Pause)
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 put mine acquaintances far from me, Yea, thou hast made me their abhorrence: I am shut up, and 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.
Mine eyes languish by reason of my affliction. I call upon thee daily, O LORD! To thee do I stretch out my hands!
10 Will you do works of wonder for the dead? will the shades come back to give you praise? (Selah)
Canst thou show wonders to the dead? Shall the dead arise, and praise thee? (Pause)
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 goodness be declared in the grave, Or 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 known in the dark, And thy justice 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.
To thee do I cry, O LORD! In the morning doth my cry come before thee.
14 Lord, why have you sent away my soul? why is your face covered from me?
Why, O LORD! dost thou cast me off? Why hidest thou 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 have been afflicted and languishing from my youth; I suffer thy terrors, and am distracted.
16 The heat of your wrath has gone over me; I am broken by your cruel punishments.
Thy fierce wrath overwhelmeth me; Thy terrors utterly destroy me.
17 They are round me all the day like water; they have made a circle about me.
They surround me daily like water; They compass 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 hast thou put far from me; My acquaintances are withdrawn from my sight.
