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.
O Yhwh God of my salvation, I have cried day and 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 unto the grave. (Sheol h7585)
4 I'm counted among the dying; a man with no strength.
I am counted 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.
Free among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, whom thou rememberest no more: and they 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 darkness, in the deeps.
7 Your hostility crushes me; you are drowning me under your crashing waves. (Selah)
Thy wrath 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 away mine acquaintance 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 mourneth by reason of affliction: Yhwh, I have called daily upon thee, 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 shew wonders to the dead? shall the dead 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 lovingkindness be declared in the grave? or 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 unto thee have I cried, O Yhwh; and in the morning shall my prayer come before thee.
14 Lord, why do you reject me? Why do you turn away from me?
Yhwh, why 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 ready to die from my youth up: while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted.
16 Your anger has overcome me; the terrible things you do have destroyed me.
Thy fierce wrath goeth over me; thy terrors have cut me off.
17 They surround me all the time like floodwaters, swallowing me up.
They came round about me daily like water; they compassed me about together.
18 You have made my family and friends avoid me. Darkness is my only friend.
Lover and friend hast thou put far from me, and mine acquaintance into darkness.
