Psalms 88
1 A song. A psalm of the descendants of Korah. For the music director. To the tune “Mahalath Leannoth.” A maskil by Heman the Ezrahite Lord, God of my salvation, I cry out to you day and night.
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.
2 Please listen to my prayer; hear my words as I plead with you.
Let my prayer come before thee; incline thine ear unto my cry.
For my soul is full of troubles, and my life draweth nigh to Sheol. (Sheol h7585)
4 I'm counted among the dying; a man with no strength.
I am reckoned with them that go down into the pit; I am as a man that hath no strength:
5 I am abandoned among the dead, lying like a corpse in the grave, forgotten and beyond your care.
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.
6 You have placed me in a deep pit, in the depths of darkness.
Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in dark places, in the deeps.
7 Your hostility crushes me; you are drowning me under your crashing waves. (Selah)
Thy fury lieth hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted [me] with all thy waves. (Selah)
8 You have made my friends avoid me by making me look repulsive to them. I'm trapped, I can't go out.
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.
9 I've cried my eyes out begging you every day for your help, Lord, holding out my hands to you.
Mine eye consumeth by reason of affliction. Upon thee, Jehovah, have I called every day; I have stretched out my hands unto thee.
10 Do you do miracles among the dead? Do the dead stand up to praise you? (Selah)
Wilt thou do wonders to the dead? shall the shades arise and praise thee? (Selah)
11 Your faithful love—is it mentioned in the grave? Your trustworthiness—is it discussed in the place of destruction?
Shall thy loving-kindness be declared in the grave? thy faithfulness in Destruction?
12 Are the wonderful things you do known in the darkness? Is your goodness known in the land of forgetfulness?
Shall thy wonders be known in the dark? and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?
13 But I cry out to you for help; every morning I pray to you.
But as for me, Jehovah, I cry unto thee, and in the morning my prayer cometh before thee.
14 Lord, why do you reject me? Why do you turn away from me?
Why, O Jehovah, castest thou off my soul? [why] hidest thou thy face from me?
15 I have been sick since I was young, often at death's door. I have had to bear the terrible things you've done to me. I'm in despair!
I am afflicted and expiring from my youth up; I suffer thy terrors, [and] I am distracted.
16 Your anger has overcome me; the terrible things you do have destroyed me.
Thy fierce anger hath gone over me; thy terrors have brought me to nought:
17 They surround me all the time like floodwaters, swallowing me up.
They have surrounded me all the day like water; they have compassed me about together.
18 You have made my family and friends avoid me. Darkness is my only friend.
Lover and associate hast thou put far from me: my familiar friends are darkness.
