Psalm 87–88

PSALM 87

The Privileges of Citizenship in Zion.

A Psalm of the sons of Korah. A Song.

¹His ^afoundation is in the holy mountains.

²The Lord ^aloves the gates of Zion

More than all the other dwelling places of Jacob.

^3aGlorious things are spoken of you,

O ^bcity of God.

¹Selah.

⁴“I shall mention ^1aRahab and Babylon ²among those who know Me;

Behold, Philistia and ^bTyre with ^3cEthiopia:

‘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.

⁶The Lord will count when He ^aregisters the peoples,

“This one was born there.”

Selah.

⁷Then those who ^asing as well as those who ^1bplay the flutes shall say,

“All my ^csprings of joy are in you.”

PSALM 88

A Petition to Be Saved from Death.

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

¹O Lord, the ^aGod of my salvation,

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

²Let my prayer ^acome before You;

^bIncline Your ear to my cry!

³For my ^asoul has ¹had enough troubles,

And ^bmy life has drawn near to ²Sheol.

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

I have become like a man ^bwithout strength,

⁵¹Forsaken ^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 lowest pit,

In ^bdark places, in the ^cdepths.

⁷Your wrath ^ahas rested upon me,

And You have afflicted me with ^ball Your waves.

¹Selah.

⁸You have removed ^amy acquaintances far from me;

You have made me an ^1bobject of loathing 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 Lord;

I have ^cspread out my ¹hands to You.

¹⁰Will You perform wonders for the dead?

Will ^athe ¹departed spirits rise and praise You?

Selah.

¹¹Will Your lovingkindness be declared in the grave,

Your faithfulness in ¹Abaddon?

¹²Will Your wonders be made known in the ^adarkness?

And Your ¹righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?

¹³But I, O Lord, have cried out ^ato You for help,

And ^bin the morning my prayer comes before You.

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

Why do You ^bhide Your face from me?

¹⁵I was afflicted and ^aabout to die from my youth on;

I suffer ^bYour terrors; I am ¹overcome.

¹⁶Your ^aburning anger has passed over me;

Your terrors 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.