A song. A psalm of the Sons of Korah. For the director of music. According to mahalath leannoth. A maskil of Heman the Ezrahite.
1Lord, you are the God who saves me; day and night I cry out to you.[1]2May my prayer come before you; turn your ear to my cry.3I am overwhelmed with troubles and my life draws near to death.4I am counted among those who go down to the pit; I am like one without strength.5I 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.6You have put me in the lowest pit, in the darkest depths.7Your wrath lies heavily on me; you have overwhelmed me with all your waves.[3]8You have taken from me my closest friends and have made me repulsive to them. I am confined and cannot escape;9my eyes are dim with grief. I call to you, Lord, every day; I spread out my hands to you.10Do you show your wonders to the dead? Do their spirits rise up and praise you?11Is your love declared in the grave, your faithfulness in Destruction[4]?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, Lord; in the morning my prayer comes before you.14Why, Lord, do you reject me and hide your face from me?15From my youth I have suffered and been close to death; I have borne your terrors and am in despair.16Your wrath has swept over me; your terrors have destroyed me.17All day long they surround me like a flood; they have completely engulfed me.18You have taken from me friend and neighbour – darkness is my closest friend.
Psalm 88
English Standard Version
I Cry Out Day and Night Before You
1A Song. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah. To the choirmaster: according to Mahalath Leannoth. A Maskil[1] of Heman the Ezrahite. O Lord, God of my salvation, I cry out day and night before you. (1Ki 4:31; 1Ch 2:6; Ps 22:2; Ps 24:5; Ps 42:1; Ps 53:1; Lu 18:7)2Let my prayer come before you; incline your ear to my cry! (Ps 31:2)3For my soul is full of troubles, and my life draws near to Sheol. (Ps 16:10; Ps 107:18)4I am counted among those who go down to the pit; I am a man who has no strength, (Ps 28:1)5like one set loose 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. (Ps 31:12; Isa 53:8)6You have put me in the depths of the pit, in the regions dark and deep. (Ps 63:9; Ps 69:15; Ps 88:12; Ps 88:18; Ps 143:3; La 3:6)7Your wrath lies heavy upon me, and you overwhelm me with all your waves. (Ps 32:4; Ps 42:7)8You have caused my companions to shun me; you have made me a horror[2] to them. I am shut in so that I cannot escape; (Job 19:13; Job 30:10; Ps 88:18; Ps 142:4; Jer 32:2)9my eye grows dim through sorrow. Every day I call upon you, O Lord; I spread out my hands to you. (Job 11:13; Ps 6:7)10Do you work wonders for the dead? Do the departed rise up to praise you? (Ps 6:5)11Is your steadfast love declared in the grave, or your faithfulness in Abaddon?12Are your wonders known in the darkness, or your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness? (Job 10:21; Ps 88:6; Ps 89:5; Ec 9:5)13But I, O Lord, cry to you; in the morning my prayer comes before you. (Ps 5:3; Ps 30:2)14O Lord, why do you cast my soul away? Why do you hide your face from me? (Job 13:24; Ps 44:9)15Afflicted and close to death from my youth up, I suffer your terrors; I am helpless.[3]16Your wrath has swept over me; your dreadful assaults destroy me. (Job 6:4; Job 9:34)17They surround me like a flood all day long; they close in on me together. (Ps 18:4; Ps 22:16; Ps 86:3; Ps 118:10)18You have caused my beloved and my friend to shun me; my companions have become darkness.[4] (Job 19:13)