Psalm 88

Psalm 88

A song; a psalm by Korah’s descendants; for the choir director; according to mahalath leannoth;^aa maskil by Heman the Ezrahite. 

¹O Lord God, my savior, 

I cry out to you during the day and at night. 

²Let my prayer come into your presence. 

Turn your ear to hear my cries. 

³My soul is filled with troubles, 

and my life comes closer to the grave. 

⁴I am numbered with those who go into the pit. 

I am like a man without any strength— 

⁵abandoned with the dead, 

like those who have been killed and lie in graves, 

like those whom you no longer remember, 

who are cut off from your power. 

⁶You have put me in the bottom of the pit—in deep, dark places. 

⁷Your rage lies heavily on me. 

You make all your waves pound on me. 

Selah 

⁸You have taken my friends far away from me. 

You made me disgusting to them. 

I’m shut in, and I can’t get out. 

⁹My eyes grow weak because of my suffering. 

All day long I call out to you, O Lord. 

I stretch out my hands to you ⸤in prayer⸥. 

¹⁰Will you perform miracles for those who are dead? 

Will the spirits of the dead rise and give thanks to you? 

Selah 

¹¹Will anyone tell about your mercy in Sheol 

or about your faithfulness in Abaddon? 

¹²Will anyone know about your miracles in that dark place 

or about your righteousness in the place where forgotten people live? 

¹³I cry out to you for help, O Lord, 

and in the morning my prayer will come into your presence. 

¹⁴Why do you reject my soul, O Lord? 

Why do you hide your face from me? 

¹⁵Ever since I was young, I have been suffering and near death. 

I have endured your terrors, and now I am in despair. 

¹⁶Your burning anger has swept over me. 

Your terrors have destroyed me. 

¹⁷They swirl around me all day long like water. 

They surround me on all sides. 

¹⁸You have taken my loved ones and friends far away from me. 

Darkness is my only friend!