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 Song, a Psalm of the sons of Korah; for the Leader; upon Mahalath Leannoth. Maschil of Heman the Ezrahite. O LORD, God of my salvation, what time I cry in the night before Thee,
2 Let my prayer enter in your sight. Incline your ear to my petition.
Let my prayer come before Thee, incline Thine ear unto my cry.
For my soul is sated with troubles, and my life draweth nigh unto the grave. (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 with them that go down into the pit; I am become as a man that hath 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.
Set apart among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, whom Thou rememberest 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 hast laid me in the nethermost 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 lieth hard upon me, and all Thy waves Thou pressest down. (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 hast put mine acquaintance far from me; Thou hast made me an abomination unto 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.
Mine eye languisheth by reason of affliction; I have called upon Thee, O LORD, every day, I have spread forth my hands unto Thee.
10 Will you perform wonders for the dead? Or will physicians raise to life, and so confess to you?
Wilt Thou work wonders for the dead? Or shall the shades arise and give Thee thanks? (Selah)
11 Could anyone declare your mercy in the sepulcher, or your truth from within perdition?
Shall Thy mercy 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 as for me, unto Thee, O LORD, do I cry, and in the morning doth my prayer come to meet Thee.
14 Lord, why do you reject my prayer? Why do you turn your face away from me?
LORD, why castest Thou off my soul? Why hidest Thou 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 at the point of death from my youth up; I have borne Thy terrors, I am distracted.
16 Your wrath has crossed into me, and your terrors have disturbed me.
Thy fierce wrath is 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; they compassed me about together.
18 Friend and neighbor, and my acquaintances, you have sent far away from me, away from misery.
Friend and companion hast Thou put far from me, and mine acquaintance into darkness.
