Psalms 88
1 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,
A Song. A Psalm. Of the sons of Korah. To the chief music-maker; put to Mahalath Leannoth. Maschil. Of Heman the Ezrahite. O Lord, God of my salvation, I have been crying to you for help by day and by night:
2 My prayer comes in before You, Incline Your ear to my loud cry,
Let my prayer come before you; give ear to my cry:
For my soul is full of evils, and my life has come near to the underworld. (Sheol h7585)
4 I have been reckoned with those going down [to] the pit, I have been as a man without strength.
I am numbered among those who go down into the earth; I have become like a man for whom there is no help:
5 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.
My soul is among the dead, like those in the underworld, to whom you give no more thought; for they are cut off from your care.
6 You have put me in the lowest pit, In dark places, in depths.
You have put me in the lowest deep, even in dark places.
7 Your fury has lain on me, And You have afflicted [with] all Your breakers. (Selah)
The weight of your wrath is crushing me, all your waves have overcome me. (Selah)
8 You have put my acquaintance far from me, You have made me an abomination to them, Shut up—I do not go forth.
You have sent my friends far away from me; you have made me a disgusting thing in their eyes: I am shut up, and not able to come out.
9 My eye has grieved because of affliction, I called You, O YHWH, all the day, I have spread out my hands to You.
My eyes are wasting away because of my trouble: Lord, my cry has gone up to you every day, my hands are stretched out to you.
10 Do You do wonders to the dead? Does Rephaim rise? Do they thank You? (Selah)
Will you do works of wonder for the dead? will the shades come back to give you praise? (Selah)
11 Is Your kindness recounted in the grave? Your faithfulness in destruction?
Will the story of your mercy be given in the house of the dead? will news of your faith come to the place of destruction?
12 Are Your wonders known in the darkness? And Your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?
May there be knowledge of your wonders in the dark? or of your righteousness where memory is dead?
13 And I, to You, O YHWH, I have cried, And in the morning my prayer comes before You.
But to you did I send up my cry, O Lord; in the morning my prayer came before you.
14 Why, O YHWH, do You cast off my soul? You hide Your face from me.
Lord, why have you sent away my soul? why is your face covered from me?
15 I [am] afflicted, and expiring from youth, I have borne Your terrors—I pine away.
I have been troubled and in fear of death from the time when I was young; your wrath is hard on me, and I have no strength.
16 Your wrath has passed over me, Your terrors have cut me off,
The heat of your wrath has gone over me; I am broken by your cruel punishments.
17 They have surrounded me as waters all the day, They have gone around against me together,
They are round me all the day like water; they have made a circle about me.
18 You have put lover and friend far from me, My acquaintance [is] the place of darkness!
You have sent my friends and lovers far from me; I am gone from the memory of those who are dear to me.
