Psalms 88
1 Yahweh God, you who rescues me, all during each day I call out [to you] to help me, and I cry out to you during each night also.
A Song, a psalm of the Korahites. To the leader: according to Mahalath Leannoth. A Maskil of Heman the Ezrahite. O Lord my God, I cry for help in the day-time, in the night my cry is before you;
2 Listen [IDM] to my prayer [DOU], while I cry out to you [for help]!
let my prayer come into your presence, incline your ear to my cry.
3 I have experienced many troubles/difficulties, and I am about to die [MTY] and go where dead people are. (Sheol h7585)
For I am sated with sorrow, my life draws near to Sheol. (Sheol h7585)
4 Because I have no more strength, [other people also] consider that I will soon die.
I am counted with those who go down to the pit; without strength am I.
5 I am like a corpse that has been abandoned; I am like dead people who lie in their graves, people who have been completely forgotten, because you do not take care of them any more.
My home is among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, whom you remember no more cut off as they are from your hand.
6 [It is as though] you have thrown me into a deep, dark pit, into a place where they throw corpses.
In the deepest pit you have put me, in shadows deep and dark.
7 [It seems like] you are very angry with me, and [it is as though] you have crushed me like [ocean] waves [crash down on people] [MET].
Your wrath lies heavy upon me, waves of your anger roll over me. (Selah)
8 You have caused my friends to (avoid/stay away from) me; I have become repulsive to them. [It is as though] I am in a prison and cannot escape.
You have put my friends far from me, you have made them shun me. I am shut in, and cannot escape,
9 My eyes cannot see well because I cry very much. Yahweh, every day I call out to you [to help me]; I lift up my hands to you [while I pray].
my eyes are wasted with sorrow. I call on you, Lord, every day, spreading my hands out to you.
10 You certainly do not [RHQ] perform miracles for dead people! Their spirits do not [RHQ] arise to praise you!
For the dead can you work wonders? Can the shades rise again to praise you? (Selah)
11 Corpses in the grave certainly do not tell about your faithfully loving us [RHQ], and in the place where people are finally destroyed, no one tells about what you faithfully [do for us] [RHQ].
Can your kindness be told in the grave, your faithfulness in the tomb?
12 No one in the deep dark pit ever sees the miracles that you perform [RHQ], and no one in the place where people have been completely forgotten tells about your being good to us.
Can your wonders be known in the darkness, or your help in the land of forgetfulness?
13 But [as for me], Yahweh, I cry out to you [to help me]; each morning I pray to you.
I cry for help to you, in the morning my prayer comes before you.
14 Yahweh, why do you reject me [RHQ]? Why do you turn away from me [RHQ]?
Why, O Lord, do you spurn me, and hide your face from me?
15 All the time since I was young, I have suffered and have often almost died; I am (in despair/very discouraged) because of enduring the terrible things that you have done to me.
From my youth I am wretched and dying, I am numbed by the terrors I bear.
16 [I feel that] you have crushed me because of your being angry with me; the terrible things that you are doing to me are almost destroying me.
The fires of your wrath have passed over me, your terrors destroy me,
17 [I feel as though] they surround me like a flood [SIM]; they are (closing in on/crushing) me from all sides.
surging around me forever, hemming me in altogether.
18 You have caused [even] my friends and others whom I love to avoid me, and [it is as though] the only friend that I have is darkness.
Those who love me you put far from me; the dark is my only friend.
