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.
A canticle of a psalm for the sons of Core: unto the end, for Maheleth, to answer understanding of Eman the Ezrahite. O Lord, the God of my salvation: I have cried in the day, and in the night before thee.
2 Let my prayer enter in your sight. Incline your ear to my petition.
Let my prayer come in before thee: incline thy ear to my petition.
For my soul is filled with evils: and my life hath drawn nigh to hell. (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 counted among them that go down to the pit: I am become as a man without 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.
Free among the dead. Like the slain sleeping in the sepulchres, whom thou rememberest no more: and they are cast off from thy hand.
6 They have lain me in the lower pit: in dark places and in the shadow of death.
They have laid me in the lower pit: in the dark places, and in the shadow of death.
7 Your fury has been confirmed over me. And you have brought all your waves upon me.
Thy wrath is strong over me: and all thy waves thou hast brought in upon me.
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 hast put away my acquaintance far from me: they have set me an abomination to themselves. I was delivered up, and came not 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 eyes languished through poverty. All the day I cried to thee, O Lord: I stretched out my hands to thee.
10 Will you perform wonders for the dead? Or will physicians raise to life, and so confess to you?
Wilt thou shew wonders to the dead? or shall physicians raise to life, and give praise to thee?
11 Could anyone declare your mercy in the sepulcher, or your truth from within perdition?
Shall any one in the sepulchre declare thy mercy: and thy truth 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 justice 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 I, O Lord, have cried to thee: and in the morning my prayer shall prevent thee.
14 Lord, why do you reject my prayer? Why do you turn your face away from me?
Lord, why castest thou off my prayer: why turnest thou away 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 poor, and in labours from my youth: and being exalted have been humbled and troubled.
16 Your wrath has crossed into me, and your terrors have disturbed me.
Thy wrath hath come upon me: and thy terrors have troubled me.
17 They have surrounded me like water, all day long. They have surrounded me, all at once.
They have come round about me like water all the day: they have compassed me about together.
18 Friend and neighbor, and my acquaintances, you have sent far away from me, away from misery.
Friend and neighbour thou hast put far from me: and my acquaintance, because of misery.
