Psalms 88
1 O lord God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before you:
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 you: incline your ear to 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 counted with them that go down into the pit: I am as a man that has no strength:
People treat me like those who go down into the pit; I am a man with no strength.
5 Free among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, whom you remember no more: and they are cut off from your 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 You have laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps.
You place me in the lowest part of the pit, in the dark and deep places.
7 Your wrath lies hard on me, and you have afflicted me with all your waves. (Selah)
Your wrath lies heavy on me, and all your waves crash over me. (Selah)
8 You have put away my acquaintance far from me; you have made me an abomination to 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 My eye mourns by reason of affliction: LORD, I have called daily on you, I have stretched out my hands to you.
My eyes grow weary from trouble; All day long I call out to you, Yahweh; I spread out my hands to you.
10 Will you show wonders to the dead? shall the dead arise and praise you? (Selah)
Will you do wonders for the dead? Will those who have died rise and praise you? (Selah)
11 Shall your loving kindness be declared in the grave? or your faithfulness in destruction?
Will your covenant faithfulness be proclaimed in the grave, your loyalty in the place of the dead?
12 Shall your wonders be known in the dark? and your 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 to you have I cried, O LORD; and in the morning shall my prayer prevent you.
But I cry to you, Yahweh; in the morning my prayer comes before you.
14 LORD, why cast you off my soul? why hide you your face from me?
Yahweh, why do you reject me? Why do you hide your face from me?
15 I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up: while I suffer your terrors 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 Your fierce wrath goes over me; your terrors have cut me off.
Your angry actions have passed over me, and your terrifying deeds have annihilated me.
17 They came round about me daily like water; they compassed me about together.
They surround me like water all the day long; they have all encircled me.
18 Lover and friend have you put far from me, and my acquaintance into darkness.
You have removed every friend and acquaintance from me. My only acquaintance is the darkness.
