Psalms 88
1 [A Song. A Psalm by the sons of Korah. For the Chief Musician. To the tune of "The Suffering of Affliction." A contemplation by Heman, the Ezrahite.] LORD, the God of my salvation, I have cried day and night 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 Let my prayer enter into your presence. Turn your ear to my 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 am counted among those who go down into the pit. I am like a man who has no help,
I am numbered among those who go down into the earth; I have become like a man for whom there is no help:
5 set apart among the dead, like the slain who lie in the grave, whom you remember no more. They are cut off from 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 laid me in the lowest pit, in the darkest depths.
You have put me in the lowest deep, even in dark places.
7 Your wrath lies heavily on me. You have afflicted me with all your waves. (Selah)
The weight of your wrath is crushing me, all your waves have overcome me. (Selah)
8 You have taken my friends from me. You have made me an abomination to them. I am confined, and I can't escape.
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 eyes are dim from grief. I have called on you daily, LORD. 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 show wonders to the dead? Do the dead rise up and praise you? (Selah)
Will you do works of wonder for the dead? will the shades come back to give you praise? (Selah)
11 Is your loving kindness declared in the grave? Or 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 made known in the dark? Or 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 But to you, LORD, I have cried. 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 LORD, why do you reject my soul? Why do 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 ready to die from my youth up. While I suffer your terrors, I am distracted.
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 fierce wrath has gone 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 came around me like water all day long. They completely engulfed me.
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, and my friends into darkness.
You have sent my friends and lovers far from me; I am gone from the memory of those who are dear to me.
