Psalm 87–88

Psalm 87

Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm. A song.

¹He has founded his city on the holy mountain.^p

²The Lord loves the gates of Zion^q

more than all the other dwellings of Jacob.

³Glorious things are said of you,

city of God:^ar

⁴“I will record Rahab^bs and Babylon

among those who acknowledge me—

Philistia^t too, and Tyre^u, along with Cush^c—

and will say, ‘This one was born in Zion.’ ”^dv

⁵Indeed, of Zion it will be said,

“This one and that one were born in her,

and the Most High himself will establish her.”

⁶The Lord will write in the register^w of the peoples:

“This one was born in Zion.”

⁷As they make music^x they will sing,

“All my fountains^y are in you.”

Psalm 88^a

A song. A psalm of the Sons of Korah. For the director of music. According to mahalath leannoth.^b A maskil^c of Heman the Ezrahite.

¹Lord, you are the God who saves me;^z

day and night I cry out^a to you.

²May my prayer come before you;

turn your ear to my cry.

³I am overwhelmed with troubles^b

and my life draws near to death.^c

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

I am like one without strength.^e

⁵I am set apart with the dead,

like the slain who lie in the grave,

whom you remember no more,

who are cut off^f from your care.

⁶You have put me in the lowest pit,

in the darkest depths.^g

⁷Your wrath^h lies heavily on me;

you have overwhelmed me with all your waves.^di

⁸You have taken from me my closest friends^j

and have made me repulsive to them.

I am confined^k and cannot escape;^l

⁹my eyes^m are dim with grief.

I callⁿ to you, Lord, every day;

I spread out my hands^o to you.

¹⁰Do you show your wonders to the dead?

Do their spirits rise up and praise you?^p

¹¹Is your love declared in the grave,

your faithfulness^q in Destruction^e?

¹²Are your wonders known in the place of darkness,

or your righteous deeds in the land of oblivion?

¹³But I cry to you for help,^r Lord;

in the morning^s my prayer comes before you.^t

¹⁴Why, Lord, do you reject^u me

and hide your face^v from me?

¹⁵From my youth^w I have suffered^x and been close to death;

I have borne your terrors^y and am in despair.^z

¹⁶Your wrath^a has swept over me;

your terrors^b have destroyed me.

¹⁷All day long they surround me like a flood;^c

they have completely engulfed me.

¹⁸You have taken from me friend^d and neighbor—

darkness is my closest friend.