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. TO THE OVERSEER. [SET] ON “SICKNESS TO AFFLICT.” AN INSTRUCTION OF HEMAN THE EZRAHITE. O YHWH, God of my salvation, Daily I have cried, nightly before You,
2 Let my prayer, come into thy presence, Bow down thine ear to my loud cry.
My prayer comes in before You, Incline Your ear to my loud cry,
For my soul has been full of evils, And my life has come 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 have been reckoned with those going down [to] the pit, I have been as 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;
Among the dead—free, As pierced ones lying in the grave, Whom You have not remembered anymore, Indeed, they have been cut off by Your hand.
6 Thou hast laid me, In the lowest pit, In dark places, In the deeps:
You have put me in the lowest pit, In dark places, in depths.
7 Upon me, hath rested thine indignation, And, with all thy breakers, hast thou caused affliction. (Selah)
Your fury has lain on me, And You have afflicted [with] all Your breakers. (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!
You have put my acquaintance far from me, You have made me an abomination to them, Shut up—I do not go 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 eye has grieved because of affliction, I called You, O YHWH, all the day, I have 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 do wonders to the dead? Does Rephaim rise? Do they thank You? (Selah)
11 Shall Thy lovingkindness be recounted in the grave? Thy faithfulness, in destruction?
Is Your kindness recounted in the grave? Your faithfulness in destruction?
12 Shall any wonder of thine, be known in the dark? Or, thy righteousness, in the land of forgetfulness?
Are Your wonders known in the darkness? And Your 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!
And I, to You, O YHWH, I have cried, And 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 YHWH, do You cast off my soul? 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!
I [am] afflicted, and expiring from youth, I have borne Your terrors—I pine away.
16 Over me, have passed thy bursts of burning anger, The alarms of thee have put an end to me;
Your wrath has passed over me, Your terrors have cut me off,
17 They have surrounded me like waters, all the day, They have come circling against me together:
They have surrounded me as waters all the day, They have gone around against me together,
18 Thou hast far removed from me, lover and friend, Mine acquaintances, are in darkness.
You have put lover and friend far from me, My acquaintance [is] the place of darkness!
