Psalms 88
1 A canticle of a psalm for the sons of Core: unto the end, for Maheleth, to answer understanding of Eman the Ezrahite. O Lord, the God of my salvation: I have cried in the day, and in the night before thee.
A Song. A Psalm. Of the sons of Korah. To the chief music-maker; put to Mahalath Leannoth. Maschil. Of Heman the Ezrahite. O Lord, God of my salvation, I have been crying to you for help by day and by night:
2 Let my prayer come in before thee: incline thy ear to my petition.
Let my prayer come before you; give ear to my cry:
For my soul is full of evils, and my life has come near to the underworld. (Sheol h7585)
4 I am counted among them that go down to the pit: I am become as a man without help,
I am numbered among those who go down into the earth; I have become like a man for whom there is no help:
5 Free among the dead. Like the slain sleeping in the sepulchres, whom thou rememberest no more: and they are cast off from thy hand.
My soul is among the dead, like those in the underworld, to whom you give no more thought; for they are cut off from your care.
6 They have laid me in the lower pit: in the dark places, and in the shadow of death.
You have put me in the lowest deep, even in dark places.
7 Thy wrath is strong over me: and all thy waves thou hast brought in upon me.
The weight of your wrath is crushing me, all your waves have overcome me. (Selah)
8 Thou hast put away my acquaintance far from me: they have set me an abomination to themselves. I was delivered up, and came not forth:
You have sent my friends far away from me; you have made me a disgusting thing in their eyes: I am shut up, and not able to come out.
9 My eyes languished through poverty. All the day I cried to thee, O Lord: I stretched out my hands to thee.
My eyes are wasting away because of my trouble: Lord, my cry has gone up to you every day, my hands are stretched out to you.
10 Wilt thou shew wonders to the dead? or shall physicians raise to life, and give praise to thee?
Will you do works of wonder for the dead? will the shades come back to give you praise? (Selah)
11 Shall any one in the sepulchre declare thy mercy: and thy truth in destruction?
Will the story of your mercy be given in the house of the dead? will news of your faith come to the place of destruction?
12 Shall thy wonders be known in the dark; and thy justice in the land of forgetfulness?
May there be knowledge of your wonders in the dark? or of your righteousness where memory is dead?
13 But I, O Lord, have cried to thee: and in the morning my prayer shall prevent thee.
But to you did I send up my cry, O Lord; in the morning my prayer came before you.
14 Lord, why castest thou off my prayer: why turnest thou away thy face from me?
Lord, why have you sent away my soul? why is your face covered from me?
15 I am poor, and in labours from my youth: and being exalted have been humbled and troubled.
I have been troubled and in fear of death from the time when I was young; your wrath is hard on me, and I have no strength.
16 Thy wrath hath come upon me: and thy terrors have troubled me.
The heat of your wrath has gone over me; I am broken by your cruel punishments.
17 They have come round about me like water all the day: they have compassed me about together.
They are round me all the day like water; they have made a circle about me.
18 Friend and neighbour thou hast put far from me: and my acquaintance, because of misery.
You have sent my friends and lovers far from me; I am gone from the memory of those who are dear to me.
