Psalm 88

¹ A Song, a Psalm of the sons of Korah; for the Chief Musician; set to Mahalath Leannoth. Maschil of Heman the Ezrahite. O LORD, the God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee:

² Let my prayer enter into thy presence; incline thine ear unto my cry:

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

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

⁵ Cast 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.

⁶ Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in dark places, in the deeps.

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

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

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

¹⁰ Wilt thou shew wonders to the dead? shall they that are deceased arise and praise thee? Selah

¹¹ Shall thy lovingkindness be declared in the grave? or thy faithfulness in Destruction?

¹² Shall thy wonders be known in the dark? and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?

¹³ But unto thee, O LORD, have I cried, and in the morning shall my prayer come before thee.

¹⁴ LORD, why castest thou off my soul? why hidest thou thy face from me?

¹⁵ I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up: while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted.

¹⁶ Thy fierce wrath is gone over me; thy terrors have cut me off.

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

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