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 or psalm of the sons of Korach, to the chief musician upon Machalath-le'annoth, a Maskil of Heman the Ezrachite.” O Lord the God of my salvation, by day do I cry, [and] at night I am before thee.
2 Let my prayer come in before thee: incline thy ear to my petition.
Let my prayer come unto thy presence; incline thy ear unto my entreaty.
For my soul is sated with troubles; and my life draweth nigh unto the nether world. (Sheol h7585)
4 I am counted among them that go down to the pit: I am become as a man without help,
I am counted with those that descend into the pit; I am become as a man without vigor:
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.
Free among the dead, like the slain that dwell in the grave, whom thou rememberest no more; and those that are cut off by thy hand.
6 They have laid me in the lower pit: in the dark places, and in the shadow of death.
Thou hast laid me in the pit of the lower world, in darkness, in the depths.
7 Thy wrath is strong over me: and all thy waves thou hast brought in upon me.
Upon me lieth heavily thy fury, and with all thy billows hast thou afflicted 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:
Thou hast removed my acquaintances far from me; thou hast rendered me an abomination unto them: I am imprisoned, and I cannot go forth.
9 My eyes languished through poverty. All the day I cried to thee, O Lord: I stretched out my hands to thee.
My eye languisheth by reason of affliction: I call on thee, O Lord, every day, I stretch out unto thee my hands.
10 Wilt thou shew wonders to the dead? or shall physicians raise to life, and give praise to thee?
Wilt thou display wonders to the dead? shall the departed arise [and] thank thee? (Selah)
11 Shall any one in the sepulchre declare thy mercy: and thy truth in destruction?
Shall thy kindness be related in the grave? thy faithfulness in the place of corruption?
12 Shall thy wonders be known in the dark; and thy justice in the land of forgetfulness?
Shall thy wonders be acknowledged in the darkness? and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?
13 But I, O Lord, have cried to thee: and in the morning my prayer shall prevent thee.
Yet I cry indeed aloud unto thee, O Lord; and in the morning shall my prayer come before thee.
14 Lord, why castest thou off my prayer: why turnest thou away thy face from me?
Why, O Lord, wilt thou cast off my soul? [why] wilt thou hide thy face from me?
15 I am poor, and in labours from my youth: and being exalted have been humbled and troubled.
I am afflicted and perishing from my youth up: I bear thy terrors, I am distracted.
16 Thy wrath hath come upon me: and thy terrors have troubled me.
Over me have the fires of thy wrath passed; thy terrors have destroyed me;
17 They have come round about me like water all the day: they have compassed me about together.
They encompass me like water all the time; they have closed in round about me together.
18 Friend and neighbour thou hast put far from me: and my acquaintance, because of misery.
Thou hast removed far from me lover and friend, my acquaintances [are in] darkness.
