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 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.
2 My prayer comes in before You, Incline Your ear to my loud cry,
Let my prayer come unto thy presence; incline thy ear unto my entreaty.
For my soul is sated with troubles; and my life draweth nigh unto the nether world. (Sheol h7585)
4 I have been reckoned with those going down [to] the pit, I have been as a man without strength.
I am counted with those that descend into the pit; I am become as a man without vigor:
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.
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.
6 You have put me in the lowest pit, In dark places, in depths.
Thou hast laid me in the pit of the lower world, in darkness, in the depths.
7 Your fury has lain on me, And You have afflicted [with] all Your breakers. (Selah)
Upon me lieth heavily thy fury, and with all thy billows hast thou afflicted 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.
Thou hast removed my acquaintances far from me; thou hast rendered me an abomination unto them: I am imprisoned, and I cannot go forth.
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 eye languisheth by reason of affliction: I call on thee, O Lord, every day, I stretch out unto thee my hands.
10 Do You do wonders to the dead? Does Rephaim rise? Do they thank You? (Selah)
Wilt thou display wonders to the dead? shall the departed arise [and] thank thee? (Selah)
11 Is Your kindness recounted in the grave? Your faithfulness in destruction?
Shall thy kindness be related in the grave? thy faithfulness in the place of corruption?
12 Are Your wonders known in the darkness? And Your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?
Shall thy wonders be acknowledged in the darkness? and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?
13 And I, to You, O YHWH, I have cried, And in the morning my prayer comes before You.
Yet I cry indeed aloud unto thee, O Lord; and in the morning shall my prayer come before thee.
14 Why, O YHWH, do You cast off my soul? You hide Your face from me.
Why, O Lord, wilt thou cast off my soul? [why] wilt thou hide thy face from me?
15 I [am] afflicted, and expiring from youth, I have borne Your terrors—I pine away.
I am afflicted and perishing from my youth up: I bear thy terrors, I am distracted.
16 Your wrath has passed over me, Your terrors have cut me off,
Over me have the fires of thy wrath passed; thy terrors have destroyed me;
17 They have surrounded me as waters all the day, They have gone around against me together,
They encompass me like water all the time; they have closed in round about me together.
18 You have put lover and friend far from me, My acquaintance [is] the place of darkness!
Thou hast removed far from me lover and friend, my acquaintances [are in] darkness.
