Psalm 87–88

PSALM 87

Yahweh Loves the Gates of Zion

Of the sons of Korah. A Psalm. A Song.

¹His ^afoundation is in the holy mountains.

²Yahweh ^aloves the gates of Zion

More than all the dwelling places of Jacob.

^3aGlorious things are spoken of you,

O ^bcity of God. ¹Selah.

⁴“I shall mention ^1aRahab and Babylon among those who know Me;

Behold, Philistia and ^bTyre with ^2cEthiopia:

‘This one was born there.’”

⁵But of Zion it shall be said, “This one and that one were born in her”;

And the Most High Himself will ^aestablish her.

⁶Yahweh will count when He ^aregisters the peoples,

“This one was born there.” Selah.

⁷And ^asingers, just like the ^bdancers, will all say,

“All my ^csprings are in you.”

PSALM 88

Incline Your Ear to My Cry

A Song. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. For the choir director. According to Mahalath Leannoth. A ^†Maskil of Heman ^•the Ezrahite.

¹O Yahweh, the ^aGod of my salvation,

I have ^bcried out by day and throughout the night before You.

²Let my prayer ^acome before You;

^bIncline Your ear to my cry of lamentation!

³For my ^asoul has been saturated with calamities,

And ^bmy life has reached Sheol.

⁴I am counted among those who ^ago down to the pit;

I am like a man ^bwithout strength,

⁵Released ^aamong the dead,

Like the slain who lie in the grave,

Whom You remember no more,

And they are ^bcut off from Your hand.

⁶You have put me in ^athe pit far below,

In ^bdark places, in the ^cdepths.

⁷Your wrath ^alies upon me,

And You afflict me with ^ball Your breaking waves. ¹Selah.

⁸You have removed ^amy acquaintances far from me;

You have set me as ¹an ^babomination to them;

I am ^cshut up and cannot go out.

⁹My ^aeye has wasted away because of affliction;

I have ^bcalled upon You every day, O Yahweh;

I have ^cspread out my ¹hands to You.

¹⁰Will You do wonders for the dead?

Will ^athe ¹departed spirits rise and praise You? Selah.

¹¹Will Your lovingkindness be recounted in the grave,

Your faithfulness in ¹Abaddon?

¹²Will Your wonders be known in the ^adarkness?

And Your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?

¹³But as for me, O Yahweh, I have cried out ^ato You for help,

And ^bin the morning my prayer comes before You.

¹⁴O Yahweh, why ^ado You reject my soul?

Why do You ^bhide Your face from me?

¹⁵I have been afflicted and ^aabout to breathe my last from my youth on;

I bear ^bYour terrors; I am ¹overcome.

¹⁶Your ^aburning anger has passed over me;

Your horrors have ^1bdestroyed me.

¹⁷They have ^asurrounded me ^blike water all day long;

They have ^cencompassed me altogether.

¹⁸You have removed ^alover and friend far from me;

My acquaintances are in darkness.