Psalms 88
1 A Canticle Psalm to the sons of Korah. Unto the end. For Mahalath, to answer the understanding of Heman the Ezrahite. O Lord, God of my salvation: I have cried out, day and night, in your presence.
O Jehovah, the God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee.
2 Let my prayer enter in your sight. Incline your ear to my petition.
Let my prayer enter into thy presence. Incline thine ear to my cry.
For my soul is full of troubles, and my life draws near to Sheol. (Sheol h7585)
4 I am considered to be among those who will descend into the pit. I have become like a man without assistance,
I am reckoned with those who go down into the pit. I am as a man who has no help,
5 idle among the dead. I am like the wounded sleeping in sepulchers, whom you no longer remember, and who have been repelled by your hand.
cast off among the dead, like the slain who lie in the grave, whom thou remember no more, and they are cut off from thy hand.
6 They have lain me in the lower pit: in dark places and in the shadow of death.
Thou have laid me in the lowest pit, in dark places, in the deeps.
7 Your fury has been confirmed over me. And you have brought all your waves upon me.
Thy wrath lays hard upon me, and thou have afflicted me with all thy waves. (Selah)
8 You have sent my acquaintances far from me. They have set me as an abomination to themselves. I was handed over, yet I did not depart.
Thou have put my acquaintances far from me. Thou have made me an abomination to them. I am shut up, and I cannot come forth.
9 My eyes languished before destitution. All day long, I cried out to you, O Lord. I stretched out my hands to you.
My eye wastes away because of affliction. I have called daily upon thee, O Jehovah, I have spread forth my hands to thee.
10 Will you perform wonders for the dead? Or will physicians raise to life, and so confess to you?
Will thou show wonders to the dead? Shall those who are deceased arise and praise thee? (Selah)
11 Could anyone declare your mercy in the sepulcher, or your truth from within perdition?
Shall thy loving kindness be declared in the grave, or thy faithfulness in destruction?
12 Will your wonders be known in the darkness, or your justice in the land of oblivion?
Shall thy wonders be known in the dark, and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?
13 And I have cried out to you, O Lord, and in early morning, my prayer will come before you.
But to thee, O Jehovah, I have cried, and in the morning my prayer shall come before thee.
14 Lord, why do you reject my prayer? Why do you turn your face away from me?
Jehovah, why do thou cast off my soul? Why do thou hide thy face from me?
15 I am poor, and I have been amid hardships from my youth. And, though I have been exalted, I am humbled and disturbed.
I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up. While I suffer thy terrors I am confounded.
16 Your wrath has crossed into me, and your terrors have disturbed me.
Thy fierce wrath has gone over me. Thy terrors have cut me off.
17 They have surrounded me like water, all day long. They have surrounded me, all at once.
They came round about me like water all the day long. They encompassed me around together.
18 Friend and neighbor, and my acquaintances, you have sent far away from me, away from misery.
Thou have put beloved and friend far from me, and my acquaintances into darkness.
