Psalms 88
1 A song, a psalm of the sons of Korah; for the chief musician; set to the Mahalath Leannoth style. A maschil of Heman the Ezrahite. Yahweh, God of my salvation, I cry out day and night before you.
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 Listen to my prayer; pay attention to my 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 People treat me like those who go down into the pit; I am a man with no strength.
I have been reckoned with those going down [to] the pit, I have been as a man without strength.
5 I am abandoned among the dead; I am like the dead who lie in the grave, about whom you care no more because they are cut off from your power.
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 You place me in the lowest part of the pit, in the dark and deep places.
You have put me in the lowest pit, In dark places, in depths.
7 Your wrath lies heavy on me, and all your waves crash over me. (Selah)
Your fury has lain on me, And You have afflicted [with] all Your breakers. (Selah)
8 Because of you, my acquaintances avoid me. You have made me a shocking sight to them. I am hemmed in and I cannot escape.
You have put my acquaintance far from me, You have made me an abomination to them, Shut up—I do not go forth.
9 My eyes grow weary from trouble; All day long I call out to you, Yahweh; I spread out my hands to you.
My eye has grieved because of affliction, I called You, O YHWH, all the day, I have spread out my hands to You.
10 Will you do wonders for the dead? Will those who have died rise and praise you? (Selah)
Do You do wonders to the dead? Does Rephaim rise? Do they thank You? (Selah)
11 Will your covenant faithfulness be proclaimed in the grave, your loyalty in the place of the dead?
Is Your kindness recounted in the grave? Your faithfulness in destruction?
12 Will your wonderful deeds be known in the darkness, or your righteousness in the place of forgetfulness?
Are Your wonders known in the darkness? And Your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?
13 But I cry to you, Yahweh; in the morning my prayer comes before you.
And I, to You, O YHWH, I have cried, And in the morning my prayer comes before You.
14 Yahweh, why do you reject me? Why do you hide your face from me?
Why, O YHWH, do You cast off my soul? You hide Your face from me.
15 I have always been afflicted and on the verge of death since my youth. I have suffered from your terrors; I am in despair.
I [am] afflicted, and expiring from youth, I have borne Your terrors—I pine away.
16 Your angry actions have passed over me, and your terrifying deeds have annihilated me.
Your wrath has passed over me, Your terrors have cut me off,
17 They surround me like water all the day long; they have all encircled me.
They have surrounded me as waters all the day, They have gone around against me together,
18 You have removed every friend and acquaintance from me. My only acquaintance is the darkness.
You have put lover and friend far from me, My acquaintance [is] the place of darkness!
