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 lord God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before you:
2 Let my prayer enter in your sight. Incline your ear to my petition.
Let my prayer come before you: incline your ear to my cry;
For my soul is full of troubles: and my life draws near to 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 as a man that has no strength:
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 that lie in the grave, whom you remember no more: and they are cut off from your hand.
6 They have lain me in the lower pit: in dark places and in the shadow of death.
You have laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps.
7 Your fury has been confirmed over me. And you have brought all your waves upon me.
Your wrath lies hard on me, and you have afflicted me with all your 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.
You have put away my acquaintance far from me; you 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 mourns by reason of affliction: LORD, I have called daily on you, I have stretched out my hands to you.
10 Will you perform wonders for the dead? Or will physicians raise to life, and so confess to you?
Will you show wonders to the dead? shall the dead arise and praise you? (Selah)
11 Could anyone declare your mercy in the sepulcher, or your truth from within perdition?
Shall your loving kindness be declared in the grave? or your faithfulness in destruction?
12 Will your wonders be known in the darkness, or your justice in the land of oblivion?
Shall your wonders be known in the dark? and your 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 you have I cried, O LORD; and in the morning shall my prayer prevent you.
14 Lord, why do you reject my prayer? Why do you turn your face away from me?
LORD, why cast you off my soul? why hide you your 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 your terrors I am distracted.
16 Your wrath has crossed into me, and your terrors have disturbed me.
Your fierce wrath goes over me; your 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 daily like water; they compassed me about together.
18 Friend and neighbor, and my acquaintances, you have sent far away from me, away from misery.
Lover and friend have you put far from me, and my acquaintance into darkness.
