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 for the sons of Korah, to the chief Musician upon Mahalath Leannoth, Maschil of Heman the Ezrahite. O LORD God of my salvation, I have cried day [and] night before thee:
2 My prayer comes in before You, Incline Your ear to my loud cry,
Let my prayer come before thee: incline thy ear to my cry;
For my soul is full of troubles: and my life draweth nigh to the grave. (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 them that go down into the pit: I am as a man [that 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.
Free among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, whom thou rememberest no more: and they are cut off from thy hand.
6 You have put me in the lowest pit, In dark places, in depths.
Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps.
7 Your fury has lain on me, And You have afflicted [with] all Your breakers. (Selah)
Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted [me] with all thy waves. (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 put away my acquaintance far from me; thou hast made me an abomination to them: [I am] shut up, and I cannot come 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 mourneth by reason of affliction: LORD, I have called daily upon thee, I have stretched out my hands to thee.
10 Do You do wonders to the dead? Does Rephaim rise? Do they thank You? (Selah)
Wilt thou show wonders to the dead? shall the dead arise [and] praise thee? (Selah)
11 Is Your kindness recounted in the grave? Your faithfulness in destruction?
Shall thy loving-kindness be declared in the grave? [or] thy faithfulness in destruction?
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 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.
But to thee have I cried, 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.
LORD, why castest thou off my soul? [why] hidest thou thy face from me?
15 I [am] afflicted, and expiring from youth, I have borne Your terrors—I pine away.
I [am] afflicted and ready to die from [my] youth up: [while] I suffer thy terrors I am distracted.
16 Your wrath has passed over me, Your terrors have cut me off,
Thy fierce wrath goeth over me; thy terrors have cut me off.
17 They have surrounded me as waters all the day, They have gone around against me together,
They came around me daily like water; they encompassed me 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, [and] my acquaintance into darkness.
