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 Canticle Psalm to the sons of Korah. Unto the end. For Mahalath, to answer the understanding of Heman the Ezrahite. O Lord, God of my salvation: I have cried out, day and night, in your presence.
2 Let my prayer, come into thy presence, Bow down thine ear to my loud cry.
Let my prayer enter in your sight. Incline your ear to my petition.
For my soul has been filled with evils, and my life has drawn near to Hell. (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 considered to be among those who will descend into the pit. I have become like a man without assistance,
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;
idle among the dead. I am like the wounded sleeping in sepulchers, whom you no longer remember, and who have been repelled by your hand.
6 Thou hast laid me, In the lowest pit, In dark places, In the deeps:
They have lain me in the lower pit: in dark places and in the shadow of death.
7 Upon me, hath rested thine indignation, And, with all thy breakers, hast thou caused affliction. (Selah)
Your fury has been confirmed over me. And you have brought all your waves upon 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 sent my acquaintances far from me. They have set me as an abomination to themselves. I was handed over, yet I did not depart.
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 languished before destitution. All day long, I cried out to you, O Lord. I stretched out my hands to you.
10 For the dead, wilt thou perform a wonder? Or shall, the shades, arising, give thee thanks? (Selah)
Will you perform wonders for the dead? Or will physicians raise to life, and so confess to you?
11 Shall Thy lovingkindness be recounted in the grave? Thy faithfulness, in destruction?
Could anyone declare your mercy in the sepulcher, or your truth from within perdition?
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 justice 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!
And I have cried out to you, O Lord, and in early morning, my prayer will come before you.
14 Wherefore, O Yahweh, shouldst thou reject my soul? shouldst thou hide thy face from me?
Lord, why do you reject my prayer? Why do you turn your face away from me?
15 Afflicted have I been, and dying, from youth, I have borne the terror of thee—I shall be distracted!
I am poor, and I have been amid hardships from my youth. And, though I have been exalted, I am humbled and disturbed.
16 Over me, have passed thy bursts of burning anger, The alarms of thee have put an end to me;
Your wrath has crossed into me, and your terrors have disturbed me.
17 They have surrounded me like waters, all the day, They have come circling against me together:
They have surrounded me like water, all day long. They have surrounded me, all at once.
18 Thou hast far removed from me, lover and friend, Mine acquaintances, are in darkness.
Friend and neighbor, and my acquaintances, you have sent far away from me, away from misery.
