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!
Yahweh God, you who rescues me, all during each day I call out [to you] to help me, and I cry out to you during each night also.
2 Let my supplication come before thee; Incline thine ear to my cry!
Listen [IDM] to my prayer [DOU], while I cry out to you [for help]!
I have experienced many troubles/difficulties, and I am about to die [MTY] and go where dead people are. (Sheol h7585)
4 I am counted with those who are going down to the pit; I am like one who hath no strength.
Because I have no more strength, [other people also] consider that I will soon die.
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.
I am like a corpse that has been abandoned; I am like dead people who lie in their graves, people who have been completely forgotten, because you do not take care of them any more.
6 Thou hast placed me in a deep pit, In a dark and deep abyss.
[It is as though] you have thrown me into a deep, dark pit, into a place where they throw corpses.
7 Thy wrath presseth hard upon me, And thou afflictest me with all thy waves! (Pause)
[It seems like] you are very angry with me, and [it is as though] you have crushed me like [ocean] waves [crash down on people] [MET].
8 Thou hast put mine acquaintances far from me, Yea, thou hast made me their abhorrence: I am shut up, and cannot go forth.
You have caused my friends to (avoid/stay away from) me; I have become repulsive to them. [It is as though] I am in a prison and cannot escape.
9 Mine eyes languish by reason of my affliction. I call upon thee daily, O LORD! To thee do I stretch out my hands!
My eyes cannot see well because I cry very much. Yahweh, every day I call out to you [to help me]; I lift up my hands to you [while I pray].
10 Canst thou show wonders to the dead? Shall the dead arise, and praise thee? (Pause)
You certainly do not [RHQ] perform miracles for dead people! Their spirits do not [RHQ] arise to praise you!
11 Shall thy goodness be declared in the grave, Or thy faithfulness in the place of corruption?
Corpses in the grave certainly do not tell about your faithfully loving us [RHQ], and in the place where people are finally destroyed, no one tells about what you faithfully [do for us] [RHQ].
12 Shall thy wonders be known in the dark, And thy justice in the land of forgetfulness?
No one in the deep dark pit ever sees the miracles that you perform [RHQ], and no one in the place where people have been completely forgotten tells about your being good to us.
13 To thee do I cry, O LORD! In the morning doth my cry come before thee.
But [as for me], Yahweh, I cry out to you [to help me]; each morning I pray to you.
14 Why, O LORD! dost thou cast me off? Why hidest thou thy face from me?
Yahweh, why do you reject me [RHQ]? Why do you turn away from me [RHQ]?
15 I have been afflicted and languishing from my youth; I suffer thy terrors, and am distracted.
All the time since I was young, I have suffered and have often almost died; I am (in despair/very discouraged) because of enduring the terrible things that you have done to me.
16 Thy fierce wrath overwhelmeth me; Thy terrors utterly destroy me.
[I feel that] you have crushed me because of your being angry with me; the terrible things that you are doing to me are almost destroying me.
17 They surround me daily like water; They compass me about together.
[I feel as though] they surround me like a flood [SIM]; they are (closing in on/crushing) me from all sides.
18 Lover and friend hast thou put far from me; My acquaintances are withdrawn from my sight.
You have caused [even] my friends and others whom I love to avoid me, and [it is as though] the only friend that I have is darkness.
