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; for the chief musician; set to the Mahalath Leannoth style. A maschil of Heman the Ezrahite. Yahweh, God of my salvation, I cry out day and night before you.
2 Let my prayer come before thee; incline thine ear unto my cry.
Listen to my prayer; pay attention to my cry.
For I am filled with troubles, and my life has reached Sheol. (Sheol h7585)
4 I am reckoned with them that go down into the pit; I am as a man that hath no strength:
People treat me like those who go down into the pit; I am a man with no 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.
I am abandoned among the dead; I am like the dead who lie in the grave, about whom you care no more because they are cut off from your power.
6 Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in dark places, in the deeps.
You place me in the lowest part of the pit, in the dark and deep places.
7 Thy fury lieth hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted [me] with all thy waves. (Selah)
Your wrath lies heavy on me, and all your waves crash over me. (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.
Because of you, my acquaintances avoid me. You have made me a shocking sight to them. I am hemmed in and I cannot escape.
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 eyes grow weary from trouble; All day long I call out to you, Yahweh; I spread out my hands to you.
10 Wilt thou do wonders to the dead? shall the shades arise and praise thee? (Selah)
Will you do wonders for the dead? Will those who have died rise and praise you? (Selah)
11 Shall thy loving-kindness be declared in the grave? thy faithfulness in Destruction?
Will your covenant faithfulness be proclaimed in the grave, your loyalty in the place of the dead?
12 Shall thy wonders be known in the dark? and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?
Will your wonderful deeds be known in the darkness, or your righteousness in the place of forgetfulness?
13 But as for me, Jehovah, I cry unto thee, and in the morning my prayer cometh before thee.
But I cry to you, Yahweh; in the morning my prayer comes before you.
14 Why, O Jehovah, castest thou off my soul? [why] hidest thou thy face from me?
Yahweh, why do you reject me? Why do 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 have always been afflicted and on the verge of death since my youth. I have suffered from your terrors; I am in despair.
16 Thy fierce anger hath gone over me; thy terrors have brought me to nought:
Your angry actions have passed over me, and your terrifying deeds have annihilated me.
17 They have surrounded me all the day like water; they have compassed me about together.
They surround me like water all the day long; they have all encircled me.
18 Lover and associate hast thou put far from me: my familiar friends are darkness.
You have removed every friend and acquaintance from me. My only acquaintance is the darkness.
