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 psalm of the sons of Korah. For the leader of the music. Upon wind instruments. A psalm of Heman, the Ezrahite.” O LORD, God of my salvation! To thee do I cry by day, And by night is my prayer before thee!
2 Let my prayer enter in your sight. Incline your ear to my petition.
Let my supplication come before thee; Incline thine ear to my cry!
For my soul is full of misery, And my life draweth near to the underworld. (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 those who are going down to the pit; I am like one who hath 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.
I am left to myself among the dead, Like the slain who lie in the grave, Whom thou no more rememberest, And who are cut off from thy [[protecting]] hand.
6 They have lain me in the lower pit: in dark places and in the shadow of death.
Thou hast placed me in a deep pit, In a dark and deep abyss.
7 Your fury has been confirmed over me. And you have brought all your waves upon me.
Thy wrath presseth hard upon me, And thou afflictest me with all thy waves! (Pause)
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 acquaintances far from me, Yea, thou hast made me their abhorrence: I am shut up, and cannot 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.
Mine eyes languish by reason of my affliction. I call upon thee daily, O LORD! To thee do I stretch out my hands!
10 Will you perform wonders for the dead? Or will physicians raise to life, and so confess to you?
Canst thou show wonders to the dead? Shall the dead arise, and praise thee? (Pause)
11 Could anyone declare your mercy in the sepulcher, or your truth from within perdition?
Shall thy goodness be declared in the grave, Or thy faithfulness in the place of corruption?
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.
To thee do I cry, O LORD! In the morning doth my cry come before thee.
14 Lord, why do you reject my prayer? Why do you turn your face away from me?
Why, O LORD! dost thou cast me off? 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 have been afflicted and languishing from my youth; I suffer thy terrors, and am distracted.
16 Your wrath has crossed into me, and your terrors have disturbed me.
Thy fierce wrath overwhelmeth me; Thy terrors utterly destroy me.
17 They have surrounded me like water, all day long. They have surrounded me, all at once.
They surround me daily like water; They compass me about together.
18 Friend and neighbor, and my acquaintances, you have sent far away from me, away from misery.
Lover and friend hast thou put far from me; My acquaintances are withdrawn from my sight.
