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 Leader; upon Mahalath Leannoth. Maschil of Heman the Ezrahite. O LORD, God of my salvation, what time I cry 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 sated with troubles, and my life draweth nigh unto the grave. (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 with them that go down into the pit; I am become as a man that hath no 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;
Set apart among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, whom Thou rememberest no more; and they 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 nethermost 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 wrath lieth hard upon me, and all Thy waves Thou pressest down. (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 mine acquaintance 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 languisheth by reason of affliction; I have called upon Thee, O LORD, every day, I have spread forth my hands unto Thee.
10 For the dead, wilt thou perform a wonder? Or shall, the shades, arising, give thee thanks? (Selah)
Wilt Thou work wonders for the dead? Or shall the shades arise and give Thee thanks? (Selah)
11 Shall Thy lovingkindness be recounted in the grave? Thy faithfulness, in destruction?
Shall Thy mercy be declared in the grave? or 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, unto Thee, O LORD, do I cry, and in the morning doth my prayer come to meet Thee.
14 Wherefore, O Yahweh, shouldst thou reject my soul? shouldst thou hide thy face from me?
LORD, why 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 at the point of death from my youth up; I have borne Thy terrors, 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 wrath is gone over me; Thy terrors have cut me off.
17 They have surrounded me like waters, all the day, They have come circling against me together:
They came round about me like water all the day; they compassed me about together.
18 Thou hast far removed from me, lover and friend, Mine acquaintances, are in darkness.
Friend and companion hast Thou put far from me, and mine acquaintance into darkness.
