Psalms 88
1 “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.
A SONG. A PSALM OF THE SONS OF KORAH. TO THE OVERSEER. [SET] ON “SICKNESS TO AFFLICT.” AN INSTRUCTION OF HEMAN THE EZRAHITE. O YHWH, God of my salvation, Daily I have cried, nightly before You,
2 Let my prayer come unto thy presence; incline thy ear unto my entreaty.
My prayer comes in before You, Incline Your ear to my loud cry,
For my soul has been full of evils, And my life has come to Sheol. (Sheol h7585)
4 I am counted with those that descend into the pit; I am become as a man without vigor:
I have been reckoned with those going down [to] the pit, I have been as a man without strength.
5 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.
Among the dead—free, As pierced ones lying in the grave, Whom You have not remembered anymore, Indeed, they have been cut off by Your hand.
6 Thou hast laid me in the pit of the lower world, in darkness, in the depths.
You have put me in the lowest pit, In dark places, in depths.
7 Upon me lieth heavily thy fury, and with all thy billows hast thou afflicted me. (Selah)
Your fury has lain on me, And You have afflicted [with] all Your breakers. (Selah)
8 Thou hast removed my acquaintances far from me; thou hast rendered me an abomination unto them: I am imprisoned, and I cannot go forth.
You have put my acquaintance far from me, You have made me an abomination to them, Shut up—I do not go forth.
9 My eye languisheth by reason of affliction: I call on thee, O Lord, every day, I stretch out unto thee my hands.
My eye has grieved because of affliction, I called You, O YHWH, all the day, I have spread out my hands to You.
10 Wilt thou display wonders to the dead? shall the departed arise [and] thank thee? (Selah)
Do You do wonders to the dead? Does Rephaim rise? Do they thank You? (Selah)
11 Shall thy kindness be related in the grave? thy faithfulness in the place of corruption?
Is Your kindness recounted in the grave? Your faithfulness in destruction?
12 Shall thy wonders be acknowledged in the darkness? and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?
Are Your wonders known in the darkness? And Your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?
13 Yet I cry indeed aloud unto thee, O Lord; and in the morning shall my prayer come before thee.
And I, to You, O YHWH, I have cried, And in the morning my prayer comes before You.
14 Why, O Lord, wilt thou cast off my soul? [why] wilt thou hide thy face from me?
Why, O YHWH, do You cast off my soul? You hide Your face from me.
15 I am afflicted and perishing from my youth up: I bear thy terrors, I am distracted.
I [am] afflicted, and expiring from youth, I have borne Your terrors—I pine away.
16 Over me have the fires of thy wrath passed; thy terrors have destroyed me;
Your wrath has passed over me, Your terrors have cut me off,
17 They encompass me like water all the time; they have closed in round about me together.
They have surrounded me as waters all the day, They have gone around against me together,
18 Thou hast removed far from me lover and friend, my acquaintances [are in] darkness.
You have put lover and friend far from me, My acquaintance [is] the place of darkness!
