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 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 Let my prayer, come into thy presence, Bow down thine ear to my loud cry.
let my prayer come into your presence, incline your ear to my cry.
For I am sated with sorrow, my life draws near 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 am counted with those who go down to the pit; without strength am I.
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;
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 Thou hast laid me, In the lowest pit, In dark places, In the deeps:
In the deepest pit you have put me, in shadows deep and dark.
7 Upon me, hath rested thine indignation, And, with all thy breakers, hast thou caused affliction. (Selah)
Your wrath lies heavy upon me, waves of your anger roll over me. (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 friends far from me, you have made them shun me. I am shut in, and cannot escape,
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 eyes are wasted with sorrow. I call on you, Lord, every day, spreading my hands out to you.
10 For the dead, wilt thou perform a wonder? Or shall, the shades, arising, give thee thanks? (Selah)
For the dead can you work wonders? Can the shades rise again to praise you? (Selah)
11 Shall Thy lovingkindness be recounted in the grave? Thy faithfulness, in destruction?
Can your kindness be told in the grave, your faithfulness in the tomb?
12 Shall any wonder of thine, be known in the dark? Or, thy righteousness, in the land of forgetfulness?
Can your wonders be known in the darkness, or your help 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!
I cry for help to you, 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 Lord, do you spurn me, and 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!
From my youth I am wretched and dying, I am numbed by the terrors I bear.
16 Over me, have passed thy bursts of burning anger, The alarms of thee have put an end to me;
The fires of your wrath have passed over me, your terrors destroy me,
17 They have surrounded me like waters, all the day, They have come circling against me together:
surging around me forever, hemming me in altogether.
18 Thou hast far removed from me, lover and friend, Mine acquaintances, are in darkness.
Those who love me you put far from me; the dark is my only friend.
