The Psalms

Psalm 88

A Song, a Psalm of the sons of Korah; for the Chief Musician; set to Mahalath Leannoth. Maschil of Heman the Ezrahite.

 ^88:1O Jehovah, the God of my salvation,

 I have cried day and night before thee.

 ^88:2Let my prayer enter into thy presence;

 Incline thine ear unto my cry.

 ^88:3For my soul is full of troubles,

 And my life draweth nigh unto Sheol.

 ^88:4I am reckoned with them that go down into the pit;

 I am as a man that hath no help,

 ^88:5Cast off among the dead,

 Like the slain that lie in the grave,

 Whom thou rememberest no more,

 And they are cut off from thy hand.

 ^88:6Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit,

 In dark places, in the deeps.

 ^88:7Thy wrath lieth hard upon me,

 And thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves.

Selah

 ^88:8Thou hast put mine acquaintance far from me;

 Thou hast made me an abomination unto them:

 I am shut up, and I cannot come forth.

 ^88:9Mine eye wasteth away by reason of affliction:

 I have called daily upon thee, O Jehovah;

 I have spread forth my hands unto thee.

 ^88:10Wilt thou show wonders to the dead?

 Shall they that are decreased arise and praise thee?

Selah

 ^88:11Shall thy lovingkindness be declared in the grave?

 Or thy faithfulness in Destruction?

 ^88:12Shall thy wonders be known in the dark?

 And thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?

 ^88:13But unto thee, O Jehovah, have I cried;

 And in the morning shall my prayer come before thee.

 ^88:14Jehovah, why castest thou off my soul?

 Why hidest thou thy face from me?

 ^88:15I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up:

 While I suffer thy terrors I am distracted.

 ^88:16Thy fierce wrath is gone over me;

 Thy terrors have cut me off.

 ^88:17They came round about me like water all the day long;

 They compassed me about together.

 ^88:18Lover and friend hast thou put far from me,

 And mine acquaintance into darkness.