Psalm 88

A Cry of Desperation

A song. A psalm of the sons of Korah. For the choir director: according to Mahalath Leannoth. A Maskil of Heman the Ezrahite. ^a

¹Lord, God of my salvation,

I cry out before you day and night. ^b

²May my prayer reach your presence;

listen to my cry. ^c

³For I have had enough troubles,

and my life is near Sheol. ^d

⁴I am counted among those going down to the Pit. ^e

I am like a man without strength, ^f

⁵abandoned ^g among the dead.

I am like the slain lying in the grave, ^h

whom you no longer remember,

and who are cut off from your care. ⁱ,^j

⁶You have put me in the lowest part of the Pit,

in the darkest places, in the depths. ^k

⁷Your wrath weighs heavily on me; ^l

you have overwhelmed me with all your waves. ^m Selah

⁸You have distanced my friends from me;

you have made me repulsive to them. ⁿ

I am shut in and cannot go out.

⁹My eyes are worn out from crying. ^o

Lord, I cry out to you all day long; ^p

I spread out my hands to you. ^q

¹⁰Do you work wonders for the dead?

Do departed spirits rise up to praise you? ^r Selah

¹¹Will your faithful love be declared in the grave,

your faithfulness in Abaddon? ^s

¹²Will your wonders be known in the darkness

or your righteousness in the land of oblivion? ^t

¹³But I call to you for help, Lord;

in the morning my prayer meets you. ^u

¹⁴Lord, why do you reject me? ^v

Why do you hide your face from me? ^w

¹⁵From my youth,

I have been suffering and near death.

I suffer your horrors; I am desperate. ^x

¹⁶Your wrath sweeps over me;

your terrors destroy me. ^y

¹⁷They surround me like water all day long;

they close in on me from every side. ^z

¹⁸You have distanced loved one and neighbor from me;

darkness is my only friend. ^aa,^ab