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 of a psalm for the sons of Core: unto the end, for Maheleth, to answer understanding of Eman the Ezrahite. O Lord, the God of my salvation: I have cried in the 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 in before thee: incline thy ear to my petition.
For my soul is filled with evils: and my life hath drawn nigh 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 counted among them that go down to the pit: I am become as a man without help,
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;
Free among the dead. Like the slain sleeping in the sepulchres, whom thou rememberest no more: and they are cast off from thy hand.
6 Thou hast laid me, In the lowest pit, In dark places, In the deeps:
They have laid me in the lower pit: in the 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)
Thy wrath is strong over me: and all thy waves thou hast brought in 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!
Thou hast put away my acquaintance far from me: they have set me an abomination to themselves. I was delivered up, and came not 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.
My eyes languished through poverty. All the day I cried to thee, O Lord: I stretched out my hands to thee.
10 For the dead, wilt thou perform a wonder? Or shall, the shades, arising, give thee thanks? (Selah)
Wilt thou shew wonders to the dead? or shall physicians raise to life, and give praise to thee?
11 Shall Thy lovingkindness be recounted in the grave? Thy faithfulness, in destruction?
Shall any one in the sepulchre declare thy mercy: and thy truth 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 justice 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 I, O Lord, have cried to thee: and in the morning my prayer shall prevent thee.
14 Wherefore, O Yahweh, shouldst thou reject my soul? shouldst thou hide thy face from me?
Lord, why castest thou off my prayer: why turnest thou away 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 poor, and in labours from my youth: and being exalted have been humbled and troubled.
16 Over me, have passed thy bursts of burning anger, The alarms of thee have put an end to me;
Thy wrath hath come upon me: and thy terrors have troubled me.
17 They have surrounded me like waters, all the day, They have come circling against me together:
They have come round about me like water all the day: they have compassed me about together.
18 Thou hast far removed from me, lover and friend, Mine acquaintances, are in darkness.
Friend and neighbour thou hast put far from me: and my acquaintance, because of misery.
