1 A Song. A Psalm. Of the sons of Korah. To the chief music-maker; put to Mahalath Leannoth. Maschil. Of Heman the Ezrahite.

2 \88:1\O Lord, God of my salvation, I have been crying to you for help by day and by night:

3 \88:2\Let my prayer come before you; give ear to my cry:

4 \88:3\For my soul is full of evils, and my life has come near to the underworld.

5 \88:4\I am numbered among those who go down into the earth; I have become like a man for whom there is no help:

6 \88:5\My soul is among the dead, like those in the underworld, to whom you give no more thought; for they are cut off from your care.

7 \88:6\You have put me in the lowest deep, even in dark places.

8 \88:7\The weight of your wrath is crushing me, all your waves have overcome me. (Selah.)

9 \88:8\You have sent my friends far away from me; you have made me a disgusting thing in their eyes: I am shut up, and not able to come out.

10 \88:9\My eyes are wasting away because of my trouble: Lord, my cry has gone up to you every day, my hands are stretched out to you.

11 \88:10\Will you do works of wonder for the dead? will the shades come back to give you praise? (Selah.)

12 \88:11\Will the story of your mercy be given in the house of the dead? will news of your faith come to the place of destruction?

13 \88:12\May there be knowledge of your wonders in the dark? or of your righteousness where memory is dead?

14 \88:13\But to you did I send up my cry, O Lord; in the morning my prayer came before you.

15 \88:14\Lord, why have you sent away my soul? why is your face covered from me?

16 \88:15\I have been troubled and in fear of death from the time when I was young; your wrath is hard on me, and I have no strength.

17 \88:16\The heat of your wrath has gone over me; I am broken by your cruel punishments.

18 \88:17\They are round me all the day like water; they have made a circle about me.

19 \88:18\You have sent my friends and lovers far from me; I am gone from the memory of those who are dear to me.

1 Yahweh, the God of my salvation,

I have cried day and night before you.

2 Let my prayer enter into your presence.

Turn your ear to my cry.

3 For my soul is full of troubles.

My life draws near to Sheol.

4 I am counted among those who go down into the pit.

I am like a man who has no help,

5 set apart among the dead,

like the slain who lie in the grave,

whom you remember no more.

They are cut off from your hand.

6 You have laid me in the lowest pit,

in the darkest depths.

7 Your wrath lies heavily on me.

You have afflicted me with all your waves. Selah.

8 You have taken my friends from me.

You have made me an abomination to them.

I am confined, and I can’t escape.

9 My eyes are dim from grief.

I have called on you daily, Yahweh.

I have spread out my hands to you.

10 Do you show wonders to the dead?

Do the departed spirits rise up and praise you? Selah.

11 Is your loving kindness declared in the grave?

Or your faithfulness in Destruction?

12 Are your wonders made known in the dark?

Or your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?

13 But to you, Yahweh, I have cried.

In the morning, my prayer comes before you.

14 Yahweh, why do you reject my soul?

Why do you hide your face from me?

15 I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up.

While I suffer your terrors, I am distracted.

16 Your fierce wrath has gone over me.

Your terrors have cut me off.

17 They came around me like water all day long.

They completely engulfed me.

18 You have put lover and friend far from me,

and my friends into darkness.