Psalms 88
1 A canticle of a psalm for the sons of Core: unto the end, for Maheleth, to answer understanding of Eman the Ezrahite. O Lord, the God of my salvation: I have cried in the day, and in the night before thee.
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:
2 Let my prayer come in before thee: incline thy ear to my petition.
Let my prayer come before thee: incline thy ear to my cry;
For my soul is full of troubles: and my life draweth nigh to the grave. (Sheol h7585)
4 I am counted among them that go down to the pit: I am become as a man without help,
I am counted with them that go down into the pit: I am as a man [that hath] no strength:
5 Free among the dead. Like the slain sleeping in the sepulchres, whom thou rememberest no more: and they are cast off from thy hand.
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.
6 They have laid me in the lower pit: in the dark places, and in the shadow of death.
Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps.
7 Thy wrath is strong over me: and all thy waves thou hast brought in upon me.
Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted [me] with all thy waves. (Selah)
8 Thou hast put away my acquaintance far from me: they have set me an abomination to themselves. I was delivered up, and came not forth:
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.
9 My eyes languished through poverty. All the day I cried to thee, O Lord: I stretched out my hands to thee.
My eye mourneth by reason of affliction: LORD, I have called daily upon thee, I have stretched out my hands to thee.
10 Wilt thou shew wonders to the dead? or shall physicians raise to life, and give praise to thee?
Wilt thou show wonders to the dead? shall the dead arise [and] praise thee? (Selah)
11 Shall any one in the sepulchre declare thy mercy: and thy truth in destruction?
Shall thy loving-kindness be declared in the grave? [or] thy faithfulness in destruction?
12 Shall thy wonders be known in the dark; and thy justice in the land of forgetfulness?
Shall thy wonders be known in the dark? and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?
13 But I, O Lord, have cried to thee: and in the morning my prayer shall prevent thee.
But to thee have I cried, O LORD; and in the morning shall my prayer come before thee.
14 Lord, why castest thou off my prayer: why turnest thou away thy face from me?
LORD, why castest thou off my soul? [why] hidest thou thy face from me?
15 I am poor, and in labours from my youth: and being exalted have been humbled and troubled.
I [am] afflicted and ready to die from [my] youth up: [while] I suffer thy terrors I am distracted.
16 Thy wrath hath come upon me: and thy terrors have troubled me.
Thy fierce wrath goeth over me; thy terrors have cut me off.
17 They have come round about me like water all the day: they have compassed me about together.
They came around me daily like water; they encompassed me together.
18 Friend and neighbour thou hast put far from me: and my acquaintance, because of misery.
Lover and friend hast thou put far from me, [and] my acquaintance into darkness.
