Psalms 88
1 A Song [or] Psalm for the sons of Korah, to the chief Musician upon Mahalath Leannoth, Maschil of Heman the Ezrahite. O LORD God of my salvation, I have cried day [and] night before thee:
“A song or psalm of the sons of Korach, to the chief musician upon Machalath-le'annoth, a Maskil of Heman the Ezrachite.” O Lord the God of my salvation, by day do I cry, [and] at night I am before thee.
2 Let my prayer come before thee: incline thy ear to my cry;
Let my prayer come unto thy presence; incline thy ear unto my entreaty.
For my soul is sated with troubles; and my life draweth nigh unto the nether world. (Sheol h7585)
4 I am counted with them that go down into the pit: I am as a man [that hath] no strength:
I am counted with those that descend into the pit; I am become as a man without vigor:
5 Free among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, whom thou rememberest no more: and they are cut off from thy hand.
Free among the dead, like the slain that dwell in the grave, whom thou rememberest no more; and those that are cut off by thy hand.
6 Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps.
Thou hast laid me in the pit of the lower world, in darkness, in the depths.
7 Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted [me] with all thy waves. (Selah)
Upon me lieth heavily thy fury, and with all thy billows hast thou afflicted me. (Selah)
8 Thou hast put away my acquaintance far from me; thou hast made me an abomination to them: [I am] shut up, and I cannot come forth.
Thou hast removed my acquaintances far from me; thou hast rendered me an abomination unto them: I am imprisoned, and I cannot go forth.
9 My eye mourneth by reason of affliction: LORD, I have called daily upon thee, I have stretched out my hands to thee.
My eye languisheth by reason of affliction: I call on thee, O Lord, every day, I stretch out unto thee my hands.
10 Wilt thou show wonders to the dead? shall the dead arise [and] praise thee? (Selah)
Wilt thou display wonders to the dead? shall the departed arise [and] thank thee? (Selah)
11 Shall thy loving-kindness be declared in the grave? [or] thy faithfulness in destruction?
Shall thy kindness be related in the grave? thy faithfulness in the place of corruption?
12 Shall thy wonders be known in the dark? and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?
Shall thy wonders be acknowledged in the darkness? and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?
13 But to thee have I cried, O LORD; and in the morning shall my prayer come before thee.
Yet I cry indeed aloud unto thee, O Lord; and in the morning shall my prayer come before thee.
14 LORD, why castest thou off my soul? [why] hidest thou thy face from me?
Why, O Lord, wilt thou cast off my soul? [why] wilt thou hide thy face from me?
15 I [am] afflicted and ready to die from [my] youth up: [while] I suffer thy terrors I am distracted.
I am afflicted and perishing from my youth up: I bear thy terrors, I am distracted.
16 Thy fierce wrath goeth over me; thy terrors have cut me off.
Over me have the fires of thy wrath passed; thy terrors have destroyed me;
17 They came around me daily like water; they encompassed me together.
They encompass me like water all the time; they have closed in round about me together.
18 Lover and friend hast thou put far from me, [and] my acquaintance into darkness.
Thou hast removed far from me lover and friend, my acquaintances [are in] darkness.
