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. TO THE OVERSEER. [SET] ON “SICKNESS TO AFFLICT.” AN INSTRUCTION OF HEMAN THE EZRAHITE. O YHWH, God of my salvation, Daily I have cried, nightly before You,
2 Let my prayer enter in your sight. Incline your ear to my petition.
My prayer comes in before You, Incline Your ear to my loud cry,
For my soul has been full of evils, And my life has come 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 have been reckoned with those going down [to] the pit, I have been as a man without 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.
Among the dead—free, As pierced ones lying in the grave, Whom You have not remembered anymore, Indeed, they have been cut off by Your hand.
6 They have lain me in the lower pit: in dark places and in the shadow of death.
You have put me in the lowest pit, In dark places, in depths.
7 Your fury has been confirmed over me. And you have brought all your waves upon me.
Your fury has lain on me, And You have afflicted [with] all Your breakers. (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 my acquaintance far from me, You have made me an abomination to them, Shut up—I do not go 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 has grieved because of affliction, I called You, O YHWH, all the day, I have spread out my hands to You.
10 Will you perform wonders for the dead? Or will physicians raise to life, and so confess to you?
Do You do wonders to the dead? Does Rephaim rise? Do they thank You? (Selah)
11 Could anyone declare your mercy in the sepulcher, or your truth from within perdition?
Is Your kindness recounted in the grave? Your faithfulness in destruction?
12 Will your wonders be known in the darkness, or your justice in the land of oblivion?
Are Your wonders known in the darkness? 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.
And I, to You, O YHWH, I have cried, And in the morning my prayer comes before You.
14 Lord, why do you reject my prayer? Why do you turn your face away from me?
Why, O YHWH, do You cast off my soul? You hide 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 expiring from youth, I have borne Your terrors—I pine away.
16 Your wrath has crossed into me, and your terrors have disturbed me.
Your wrath has passed 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 have surrounded me as waters all the day, They have gone around against me together,
18 Friend and neighbor, and my acquaintances, you have sent far away from me, away from misery.
You have put lover and friend far from me, My acquaintance [is] the place of darkness!
