Psalms 88
1 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.
A song. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. For the choirmaster. According to Mahalath Leannoth. A Maskil of Heman the Ezrahite. O LORD, the God of my salvation, day and night I cry out before You.
2 Let my prayer, come into thy presence, Bow down thine ear to my loud cry.
May my prayer come before You; incline Your ear to my cry.
For my soul is full of troubles, and my life draws near to Sheol. (Sheol h7585)
4 I am counted with them who descend into the pit, I have become as a man that is without help;
I am counted among those descending to the Pit. I am like a man without strength.
5 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;
I am forsaken among the dead, like the slain who lie in the grave, whom You remember no more, who are cut off from Your care.
6 Thou hast laid me, In the lowest pit, In dark places, In the deeps:
You have laid me in the lowest Pit, in the darkest of the depths.
7 Upon me, hath rested thine indignation, And, with all thy breakers, hast thou caused affliction. (Selah)
Your wrath weighs heavily upon me; all Your waves have submerged me.
8 Thou hast far removed mine acquaintances from me, —Thou hast made me an abomination unto them, Shut up, and I cannot go forth!
You have removed my friends from me; You have made me repulsive to them; I am confined and cannot escape.
9 Mine eye, hath dimmed through affliction; I have called upon thee, O Yahweh, all day long, I have spread out, unto thee, my hands.
My eyes grow dim with grief. I call to You daily, O LORD; I spread out my hands to You.
10 For the dead, wilt thou perform a wonder? Or shall, the shades, arising, give thee thanks? (Selah)
Do You work wonders for the dead? Do departed spirits rise up to praise You?
11 Shall Thy lovingkindness be recounted in the grave? Thy faithfulness, in destruction?
Can Your loving devotion be proclaimed in the grave, Your faithfulness in Abaddon?
12 Shall any wonder of thine, be known in the dark? Or, thy righteousness, in the land of forgetfulness?
Will Your wonders be known in the darkness, or Your righteousness in the land of oblivion?
13 But, I, unto thee, O Yahweh, have cried for help, And, in the morning, my prayer will confront thee!
But to You, O LORD, I cry for help; in the morning my prayer comes before You.
14 Wherefore, O Yahweh, shouldst thou reject my soul? shouldst thou hide thy face from me?
Why, O LORD, do You reject me? Why do You hide Your face from me?
15 Afflicted have I been, and dying, from youth, I have borne the terror of thee—I shall be distracted!
From my youth I was afflicted and near death. I have borne Your terrors; I am in despair.
16 Over me, have passed thy bursts of burning anger, The alarms of thee have put an end to me;
Your wrath has swept over me; Your terrors have destroyed me.
17 They have surrounded me like waters, all the day, They have come circling against me together:
All day long they engulf me like water; they enclose me on every side.
18 Thou hast far removed from me, lover and friend, Mine acquaintances, are in darkness.
You have removed my beloved and my friend; darkness is my closest companion.
