Psalms 88
1 A Song, a Psalm for the sons of Korah. To the chief Musician. Upon Mahalath Leannoth. An instruction. Of Heman the Ezrahite. Jehovah, God of my salvation, I have cried by day [and] in the night before thee.
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 come before thee; incline thine ear unto my cry.
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 reckoned with them that go down into the pit; I am as a man that hath no strength:
I have been reckoned with those going down [to] the pit, I have been as a man without strength.
5 Prostrate among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave; whom thou rememberest no more, and who are cut off from thy 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 Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in dark places, in the deeps.
You have put me in the lowest pit, In dark places, in depths.
7 Thy fury lieth hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted [me] with all thy waves. (Selah)
Your fury has lain on me, And You have afflicted [with] all Your breakers. (Selah)
8 Thou hast put my familiar friends far from me; thou hast made me an abomination unto them: I am shut up, and I cannot come forth.
You have put my acquaintance far from me, You have made me an abomination to them, Shut up—I do not go forth.
9 Mine eye consumeth by reason of affliction. Upon thee, Jehovah, have I called every day; I have stretched out my hands unto thee.
My eye has grieved because of affliction, I called You, O YHWH, all the day, I have spread out my hands to You.
10 Wilt thou do wonders to the dead? shall the shades arise and praise thee? (Selah)
Do You do wonders to the dead? Does Rephaim rise? Do they thank You? (Selah)
11 Shall thy loving-kindness be declared in the grave? thy faithfulness in Destruction?
Is Your kindness recounted in the grave? Your faithfulness in destruction?
12 Shall thy wonders be known in the dark? and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?
Are Your wonders known in the darkness? And Your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?
13 But as for me, Jehovah, I cry unto thee, and in the morning my prayer cometh before thee.
And I, to You, O YHWH, I have cried, And in the morning my prayer comes before You.
14 Why, O Jehovah, castest thou off my soul? [why] hidest thou thy face from me?
Why, O YHWH, do You cast off my soul? You hide Your face from me.
15 I am afflicted and expiring from my youth up; I suffer thy terrors, [and] I am distracted.
I [am] afflicted, and expiring from youth, I have borne Your terrors—I pine away.
16 Thy fierce anger hath gone over me; thy terrors have brought me to nought:
Your wrath has passed over me, Your terrors have cut me off,
17 They have surrounded me all the day like water; they have compassed me about together.
They have surrounded me as waters all the day, They have gone around against me together,
18 Lover and associate hast thou put far from me: my familiar friends are darkness.
You have put lover and friend far from me, My acquaintance [is] the place of darkness!
