1A Song or Psalm for the sons of Korah, to the chief Musician upon Mahalath Leannoth, Maschil of Heman the Ezrahite. O LORD God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee:2Let my prayer come before thee: incline thine ear unto my cry;3For my soul is full of troubles: and my life draweth nigh unto the grave.4I am counted with them that go down into the pit: I am as a man that hath no strength:5Free among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, whom thou rememberest no more: and they are cut off from thy hand.6Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps.7Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves. Selah.8Thou hast put away mine acquaintance far from me; thou hast made me an abomination unto them: I am shut up, and I cannot come forth.9Mine eye mourneth by reason of affliction: LORD, I have called daily upon thee, I have stretched out my hands unto thee.10Wilt thou shew wonders to the dead? shall the dead arise and praise thee? Selah.11Shall thy lovingkindness be declared in the grave? or thy faithfulness in destruction?12Shall thy wonders be known in the dark? and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?13But unto thee have I cried, O LORD; and in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee.14LORD, why castest thou off my soul? why hidest thou thy face from me?15I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up: while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted.16Thy fierce wrath goeth over me; thy terrors have cut me off.17They came round about me daily like water; they compassed me about together.18Lover and friend hast thou put far from me, and mine acquaintance into darkness.
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)