< 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; 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 My prayer comes in before You, Incline Your ear to my loud cry,
Listen to my prayer; pay attention to my cry.
3 For my soul has been full of evils, And my life has come to Sheol. (Sheol )
For I am filled with troubles, and my life has reached Sheol. (Sheol )
4 I have been reckoned with those going down [to] the pit, I have been as a man without strength.
People treat me like those who go down into the pit; I am a man with 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 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 put me in the lowest pit, In dark places, in depths.
You place me in the lowest part of the pit, in the dark and deep places.
7 Your fury has lain on me, And You have afflicted [with] all Your breakers. (Selah)
Your wrath lies heavy on me, and all your waves crash over 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.
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 has grieved because of affliction, I called You, O YHWH, all the day, I have spread 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 Do You do wonders to the dead? Does Rephaim rise? Do they thank You? (Selah)
Will you do wonders for the dead? Will those who have died rise and praise you? (Selah)
11 Is Your kindness recounted in the grave? Your faithfulness in destruction?
Will your covenant faithfulness be proclaimed in the grave, your loyalty in the place of the dead?
12 Are Your wonders known in the darkness? 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 And I, to You, O YHWH, I have cried, And in the morning my prayer comes before You.
But I cry to you, Yahweh; in the morning my prayer comes before you.
14 Why, O YHWH, do You cast off my soul? You hide Your face from me.
Yahweh, why do you reject me? Why do you hide your face from me?
15 I [am] afflicted, and expiring from youth, I have borne Your terrors—I pine away.
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 wrath has passed over me, Your terrors have cut me off,
Your angry actions have passed over me, and your terrifying deeds have annihilated me.
17 They have surrounded me as waters all the day, They have gone around against me together,
They surround me like water all the day long; they have all encircled me.
18 You have put lover and friend far from me, My acquaintance [is] the place of darkness!
You have removed every friend and acquaintance from me. My only acquaintance is the darkness.