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 Melody. For the Sons of Korah. To the Chief Musician. On "Mahalath." For alternate Song. An Instructive Psalm. By Heman the Ezrahite. O Yahweh, God of my salvation, By day, have I made outcry, In the night, [also] before thee.
2 Let my prayer enter in your sight. Incline your ear to my petition.
Let my prayer, come into thy presence, Bow down thine ear to my loud cry.
For my soul, is sated with misfortunes, And, my life—unto Hades, hath drawn near; (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 who descend into the pit, I have become as a man that is 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.
Among the dead, is my couch, —Like the slain that lie in the grave, Where thou rememberest them no more, Yea, they, from thy hand, are cut off;
6 They have lain me in the lower pit: in dark places and in the shadow of death.
Thou hast laid me, In the lowest pit, In dark places, In the deeps:
7 Your fury has been confirmed over me. And you have brought all your waves upon me.
Upon me, hath rested thine indignation, And, with all thy breakers, hast thou caused affliction. (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 far removed mine acquaintances from me, —Thou hast made me an abomination unto them, Shut up, and I 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 eye, hath dimmed through affliction; I have called upon thee, O Yahweh, all day long, I have spread out, unto thee, my hands.
10 Will you perform wonders for the dead? Or will physicians raise to life, and so confess to you?
For the dead, wilt thou perform a wonder? Or shall, the shades, arising, give thee thanks? (Selah)
11 Could anyone declare your mercy in the sepulcher, or your truth from within perdition?
Shall Thy lovingkindness be recounted in the grave? Thy faithfulness, in destruction?
12 Will your wonders be known in the darkness, or your justice in the land of oblivion?
Shall any wonder of thine, be known in the dark? Or, 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, I, unto thee, O Yahweh, have cried for help, And, in the morning, my prayer will confront thee!
14 Lord, why do you reject my prayer? Why do you turn your face away from me?
Wherefore, O Yahweh, shouldst thou reject my soul? shouldst thou hide 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.
Afflicted have I been, and dying, from youth, I have borne the terror of thee—I shall be distracted!
16 Your wrath has crossed into me, and your terrors have disturbed me.
Over me, have passed thy bursts of burning anger, The alarms of thee have put an end to me;
17 They have surrounded me like water, all day long. They have surrounded me, all at once.
They have surrounded me like waters, all the day, They have come circling against me together:
18 Friend and neighbor, and my acquaintances, you have sent far away from me, away from misery.
Thou hast far removed from me, lover and friend, Mine acquaintances, are in darkness.
