Psalm 88

Psalm 88

Prayer for Help in Despondency

A Song. A Psalm of the Korahites. To the leader: according to Mahalath Leannoth. A Maskil of Heman the Ezrahite.

¹O Lord, God of my salvation,

at night, when I cry out before you,^*

²let my prayer come before you;

incline your ear to my cry.^*

³For my soul is full of troubles,

and my life draws near to Sheol.^*

⁴I am counted among those who go down to the Pit;

I am like those who have no help,^*

⁵like those forsaken among the dead,

like the slain that lie in the grave,

like those whom you remember no more,

for they are cut off from your hand.^*

⁶You have put me in the depths of the Pit,

in the regions dark and deep.^*

⁷Your wrath lies heavy upon me,

and you overwhelm me with all your waves.   Selah^*

⁸You have caused my companions to shun me;

you have made me a thing of horror to them.

I am shut in so that I cannot escape;^*

⁹my eye grows dim through sorrow.

Every day I call on you, O Lord;

I spread out my hands to you.^*

¹⁰Do you work wonders for the dead?

Do the shades rise up to praise you?   Selah^*

¹¹Is your steadfast love declared in the grave

or your faithfulness in Abaddon?

¹²Are your wonders known in the darkness

or your saving help in the land of forgetfulness?^*

¹³But I, O Lord, cry out to you;

in the morning my prayer comes before you.^*

¹⁴O Lord, why do you cast me off?

Why do you hide your face from me?^*

¹⁵Wretched and close to death from my youth up,

I suffer your terrors; I am desperate.^u*

¹⁶Your wrath has swept over me;

your dread assaults destroy me.

¹⁷They surround me like a flood all day long;

from all sides they close in on me.^*

¹⁸You have caused friend and neighbor to shun me;

my companions are in darkness.^*