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 psalm of the sons of Korah. For the leader of the music. Upon wind instruments. A psalm of Heman, the Ezrahite.” O LORD, God of my salvation! To thee do I cry by day, And by night is my prayer before thee!
2 My prayer comes in before You, Incline Your ear to my loud cry,
Let my supplication come before thee; Incline thine ear to my cry!
For my soul is full of misery, And my life draweth 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 counted with those who are going down to the pit; I am like one who hath no strength.
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.
I am left to myself among the dead, Like the slain who lie in the grave, Whom thou no more rememberest, And who are cut off from thy [[protecting]] hand.
6 You have put me in the lowest pit, In dark places, in depths.
Thou hast placed me in a deep pit, In a dark and deep abyss.
7 Your fury has lain on me, And You have afflicted [with] all Your breakers. (Selah)
Thy wrath presseth hard upon me, And thou afflictest me with all thy waves! (Pause)
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 put mine acquaintances far from me, Yea, thou hast made me their abhorrence: I am shut up, and 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.
Mine eyes languish by reason of my affliction. I call upon thee daily, O LORD! To thee do I stretch out my hands!
10 Do You do wonders to the dead? Does Rephaim rise? Do they thank You? (Selah)
Canst thou show wonders to the dead? Shall the dead arise, and praise thee? (Pause)
11 Is Your kindness recounted in the grave? Your faithfulness in destruction?
Shall thy goodness be declared in the grave, Or 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 known in the dark, And thy justice in the land of forgetfulness?
13 And I, to You, O YHWH, I have cried, And in the morning my prayer comes before You.
To thee do I cry, O LORD! In the morning doth my cry come before thee.
14 Why, O YHWH, do You cast off my soul? You hide Your face from me.
Why, O LORD! dost thou cast me off? Why hidest thou thy face from me?
15 I [am] afflicted, and expiring from youth, I have borne Your terrors—I pine away.
I have been afflicted and languishing from my youth; I suffer thy terrors, and am distracted.
16 Your wrath has passed over me, Your terrors have cut me off,
Thy fierce wrath overwhelmeth me; Thy terrors utterly destroy me.
17 They have surrounded me as waters all the day, They have gone around against me together,
They surround me daily like water; They compass me about together.
18 You have put lover and friend far from me, My acquaintance [is] the place of darkness!
Lover and friend hast thou put far from me; My acquaintances are withdrawn from my sight.
