88:1 A song. A psalm of the Sons of Korah. For the director of music. According to mahalath leannoth. A maskil of Heman the Ezrahite. O LORD, the God who saves me, day and night I cry out before you.
88:2 May my prayer come before you; turn your ear to my cry.
88:3 For my soul is full of trouble and my life draws near the grave.
88:4 I am counted among those who go down to the pit; I am like a man without strength.
88:5 I am set apart with the dead, like the slain who lie in the grave, whom you remember no more, who are cut off from your care.
88:6 You have put me in the lowest pit, in the darkest depths.
88:7 Your wrath lies heavily upon me; you have overwhelmed me with all your waves. Selah
88:8 You have taken from me my closest friends and have made me repulsive to them. I am confined and cannot escape;
88:9 my eyes are dim with grief. I call to you, O LORD, every day; I spread out my hands to you.
88:10 Do you show your wonders to the dead? Do those who are dead rise up and praise you? Selah
88:11 Is your love declared in the grave, your faithfulness in Destruction?
88:12 Are your wonders known in the place of darkness, or your righteous deeds in the land of oblivion?
88:13 But I cry to you for help, O LORD; in the morning my prayer comes before you.
88:14 Why, O LORD, do you reject me and hide your face from me?
88:15 From my youth I have been afflicted and close to death; I have suffered your terrors and am in despair.
88:16 Your wrath has swept over me; your terrors have destroyed me.
88:17 All day long they surround me like a flood; they have completely engulfed me.
88:18 You have taken my companions and loved ones from me; the darkness is my closest friend.
88:1 O Jehovah, the God of my salvation, / I have cried out by day and in the night before You.
88:2 May my prayer come before You; / Incline Your ear to my cry.
88:3 For my soul is full of troubles, / And my life draws near to Sheol.
88:4 I am accounted among those who go down into the pit; / I am like a man without any help,
88:5 Abandoned among the dead, / Like the slain that lie in the grave, / Whom You remember no more, / And they are cut off from Your hand.
88:6 You have put me in the lowest pit, / In the dark places, in the depths.
88:7 Your wrath lies heavily upon me, / And You have afflicted me with all Your waves. Selah
88:8 You have put my acquaintances far from me; / You have made me an abomination to them. / I am shut in and cannot go out.
88:9 My eye wastes away at the affliction; / I have called out to You, O Jehovah, every day; / I have spread out my hands to You.
88:10 Will You perform wonders for the dead? / Will the deceased rise up and praise You? Selah
88:11 Will Your lovingkindness be declared in the grave, / Or Your faithfulness in Abaddon?
88:12 Will Your wonders be made known in the darkness, / Or Your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?
88:13 But I, O Jehovah, have cried out to You; / And in the morning my prayer comes before You.
88:14 Why, O Jehovah, have You rejected my soul? / Why do You hide Your face from me?
88:15 I have been afflicted and about to die since my youth; / I bear Your terrors; I am overwhelmed.
88:16 Your fierce wrath has gone over me; / Your terrors have cut me off.
88:17 They surrounded me like water all day long; / They altogether encompassed me.
88:18 You have put far from me / Lover and friend; / My acquaintances are in darkness.