Psalm 87–88

Psalm 87

ZION, THE CITY OF GOD

A psalm of the sons of Korah. A song.

¹The city he founded^B is on the holy mountains.^p

²The Lord loves Zion’s city gates

more than all the dwellings of Jacob.^q

³Glorious things are said about you,

city of God.^r

Selah

⁴“I will make a record of those who know me:

Rahab, Babylon, Philistia, Tyre, and Cush—

each one was born there.”^s

⁵And it will be said of Zion,

“This one and that one were born in her.”

The Most High himself will establish her.^t

⁶When he registers the peoples,

the Lord will record,

“This one was born there.”^u

Selah

⁷Singers and dancers^C alike will say,^D

“My whole source of joy is^E in you.”^v

Psalm 88

A CRY OF DESPERATION

A song. A psalm of the sons of Korah. For the choir director: according to Mahalath Leannoth. A Maskil of Heman the Ezrahite.^w

¹Lord, God of my salvation,

I cry out before you day and night.^x

²May my prayer reach your presence;

listen to my cry.^y

³For I have had enough troubles,

and my life is near Sheol.^z

⁴I am counted among those going down to the Pit.^aa

I am like a man without strength,^ab

⁵abandoned^A among the dead.

I am like the slain lying in the grave,^ac

whom you no longer remember,

and who are cut off from your care.^Bad

⁶You have put me in the lowest part of the Pit,

in the darkest places, in the depths.^ae

⁷Your wrath weighs heavily on me;^af

you have overwhelmed me with all your waves.^a

Selah

⁸You have distanced my friends from me;

you have made me repulsive to them.^b

I am shut in and cannot go out.

⁹My eyes are worn out from crying.^c

Lord, I cry out to you all day long;^d

I spread out my hands to you.^e

¹⁰Do you work wonders for the dead?

Do departed spirits rise up to praise you?^f

Selah

¹¹Will your faithful love be declared in the grave,

your faithfulness in Abaddon?^g

¹²Will your wonders be known in the darkness

or your righteousness in the land of oblivion?^h

¹³But I call to you for help, Lord;

in the morning my prayer meets you.ⁱ

¹⁴Lord, why do you reject me?^j

Why do you hide your face from me?^k

¹⁵From my youth,

I have been suffering and near death.

I suffer your horrors; I am desperate.^l

¹⁶Your wrath sweeps over me;

your terrors destroy me.^m

¹⁷They surround me like water all day long;

they close in on me from every side.ⁿ

¹⁸You have distanced loved one and neighbor from me;

darkness is my only friend.^Co