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 for the sons of Korah. To the chief Musician. Upon Mahalath Leannoth. An instruction. Of Heman the Ezrahite. Jehovah, God of my salvation, I have cried by day [and] in the night before thee.
2 Let my prayer, come into thy presence, Bow down thine ear to my loud cry.
Let my prayer come before thee; incline thine ear unto my cry.
For my soul is full of troubles, and my life draweth nigh 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 reckoned with them that go down into the pit; I am as a man that hath no 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;
Prostrate among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave; whom thou rememberest no more, and who are cut off from thy hand.
6 Thou hast laid me, In the lowest pit, In dark places, In the deeps:
Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in dark places, in the deeps.
7 Upon me, hath rested thine indignation, And, with all thy breakers, hast thou caused affliction. (Selah)
Thy fury lieth hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted [me] with all thy waves. (Selah)
8 Thou hast far removed mine acquaintances from me, —Thou hast made me an abomination unto them, Shut up, and I cannot go forth!
Thou hast put my familiar friends far from me; thou hast made me an abomination unto them: I am shut up, and I cannot come forth.
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.
Mine eye consumeth by reason of affliction. Upon thee, Jehovah, have I called every day; I have stretched out my hands unto thee.
10 For the dead, wilt thou perform a wonder? Or shall, the shades, arising, give thee thanks? (Selah)
Wilt thou do wonders to the dead? shall the shades arise and praise thee? (Selah)
11 Shall Thy lovingkindness be recounted in the grave? Thy faithfulness, in destruction?
Shall thy loving-kindness be declared in the grave? thy faithfulness in Destruction?
12 Shall any wonder of thine, be known in the dark? Or, thy righteousness, in the land of forgetfulness?
Shall thy wonders be known in the dark? and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?
13 But, I, unto thee, O Yahweh, have cried for help, And, in the morning, my prayer will confront thee!
But as for me, Jehovah, I cry unto thee, and in the morning my prayer cometh before thee.
14 Wherefore, O Yahweh, shouldst thou reject my soul? shouldst thou hide thy face from me?
Why, O Jehovah, castest thou off my soul? [why] hidest thou thy face from me?
15 Afflicted have I been, and dying, from youth, I have borne the terror of thee—I shall be distracted!
I am afflicted and expiring from my youth up; I suffer thy terrors, [and] I am distracted.
16 Over me, have passed thy bursts of burning anger, The alarms of thee have put an end to me;
Thy fierce anger hath gone over me; thy terrors have brought me to nought:
17 They have surrounded me like waters, all the day, They have come circling against me together:
They have surrounded me all the day like water; they have compassed me about together.
18 Thou hast far removed from me, lover and friend, Mine acquaintances, are in darkness.
Lover and associate hast thou put far from me: my familiar friends are darkness.
