Psalms 88

¹O Jehovah, the God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee.

²Let my prayer enter into thy presence; Incline thine ear unto my cry.

³For my soul is full of troubles, And my life draweth nigh unto Sheol.

⁴I am reckoned with them that go down into the pit; I am as a man that hath no help,

⁵Cast off 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 dark places, in the deeps.

⁷Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, And thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves. [Selah

⁸Thou hast put mine acquaintance far from me; Thou hast made me an abomination unto them: I am shut up, and I cannot come forth.

⁹Mine eye wasteth away by reason of affliction: I have called daily upon thee, O Jehovah; I have spread forth my hands unto thee.

¹⁰Wilt thou show wonders to the dead? Shall they that are deceased 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, O Jehovah, have I cried; And in the morning shall my prayer come before thee.

¹⁴Jehovah, 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 is gone over me; Thy terrors have cut me off.

¹⁷They came round about me like water all the day long; They compassed me about together.

¹⁸Lover and friend hast thou put far from me, And mine acquaintance into darkness.

¹O LORD, the God of my salvation, day and night I cry out before You.

²May 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 descending to the Pit. I am like a man without strength.

⁵I am forsaken among the dead, like the slain who lie in the grave, whom You remember no more, who are cut off from Your care.

⁶You have laid me in the lowest Pit, in the darkest of the depths.

⁷Your wrath weighs heavily upon me; all Your waves have submerged me. Selah

⁸You have removed my friends from me; You have made me repulsive to them; I am confined and cannot escape.

⁹My eyes grow dim with grief. I call to You daily, O LORD; I spread out my hands to You.

¹⁰Do You work wonders for the dead? Do departed spirits rise up to praise You? Selah

¹¹Can Your loving devotion be proclaimed in the grave, Your faithfulness in Abaddon?

¹²Will Your wonders be known in the darkness, or Your righteousness in the land of oblivion?

¹³But to You, O LORD, I cry for help; in the morning my prayer comes before You.

¹⁴Why, O LORD, do You reject me? Why do You hide Your face from me?

¹⁵From my youth I was afflicted and near death. I have borne Your terrors; I am in despair.

¹⁶Your wrath has swept over me; Your terrors have destroyed me.

¹⁷All day long they engulf me like water; they enclose me on every side.

¹⁸You have removed my beloved and my friend; darkness is my closest companion.