Psalms 88
1 “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!
A Song, a Melody. For the Sons of Korah. To the Chief Musician. On "Mahalath." For alternate Song. An Instructive Psalm. By Heman the Ezrahite. O Yahweh, God of my salvation, By day, have I made outcry, In the night, [also] before thee.
2 Let my supplication come before thee; Incline thine ear to my cry!
Let my prayer, come into thy presence, Bow down thine ear to my loud cry.
For my soul, is sated with misfortunes, And, my life—unto Hades, hath drawn near; (Sheol h7585)
4 I am counted with those who are going down to the pit; I am like one who hath no strength.
I am counted with them who descend into the pit, I have become as a man that is without help;
5 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.
Among the dead, is my couch, —Like the slain that lie in the grave, Where thou rememberest them no more, Yea, they, from thy hand, are cut off;
6 Thou hast placed me in a deep pit, In a dark and deep abyss.
Thou hast laid me, In the lowest pit, In dark places, In the deeps:
7 Thy wrath presseth hard upon me, And thou afflictest me with all thy waves! (Pause)
Upon me, hath rested thine indignation, And, with all thy breakers, hast thou caused affliction. (Selah)
8 Thou hast put mine acquaintances far from me, Yea, thou hast made me their abhorrence: I am shut up, and cannot go forth.
Thou hast far removed mine acquaintances from me, —Thou hast made me an abomination unto them, Shut up, and I cannot go forth!
9 Mine eyes languish by reason of my affliction. I call upon thee daily, O LORD! To thee do I stretch out my hands!
Mine eye, hath dimmed through affliction; I have called upon thee, O Yahweh, all day long, I have spread out, unto thee, my hands.
10 Canst thou show wonders to the dead? Shall the dead arise, and praise thee? (Pause)
For the dead, wilt thou perform a wonder? Or shall, the shades, arising, give thee thanks? (Selah)
11 Shall thy goodness be declared in the grave, Or thy faithfulness in the place of corruption?
Shall Thy lovingkindness be recounted in the grave? Thy faithfulness, in destruction?
12 Shall thy wonders be known in the dark, And thy justice in the land of forgetfulness?
Shall any wonder of thine, be known in the dark? Or, thy righteousness, in the land of forgetfulness?
13 To thee do I cry, O LORD! In the morning doth my cry come before thee.
But, I, unto thee, O Yahweh, have cried for help, And, in the morning, my prayer will confront thee!
14 Why, O LORD! dost thou cast me off? Why hidest thou thy face from me?
Wherefore, O Yahweh, shouldst thou reject my soul? shouldst thou hide thy face from me?
15 I have been afflicted and languishing from my youth; I suffer thy terrors, and am distracted.
Afflicted have I been, and dying, from youth, I have borne the terror of thee—I shall be distracted!
16 Thy fierce wrath overwhelmeth me; Thy terrors utterly destroy me.
Over me, have passed thy bursts of burning anger, The alarms of thee have put an end to me;
17 They surround me daily like water; They compass me about together.
They have surrounded me like waters, all the day, They have come circling against me together:
18 Lover and friend hast thou put far from me; My acquaintances are withdrawn from my sight.
Thou hast far removed from me, lover and friend, Mine acquaintances, are in darkness.
