1 A Song or Psalm for the Sons of Karah. To the Chief Musician upon mahanath leannoth. A maschil of Heman the Ezrahite. O LORD God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before you:

2 Let my prayer come before you: incline your ear unto my cry;

3 For my soul is full of troubles: and my life draws near unto the grave.

4 I am counted with them that go down into the pit: I am as a man that has no strength:

5 Adrift among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, whom you remember no more: and they are cut off from your hand.

6 You have laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deep.

7 Your anger lies hard upon me, and you have afflicted me with all your waves. Selah.

8 You have put away my acquaintance far from me; you have made me an abomination unto them: I am shut up, and I cannot come forth.

9 My eye mourns by reason of affliction: LORD, I have called daily upon you, I have stretched out my hands unto you.

10 Will you show wonders to the dead? shall the dead arise and praise you? Selah.

11 Shall your lovingkindness be declared in the grave? or your faithfulness in destruction?

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

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

14 LORD, why cast you off my soul? why hide you 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 anger goes over me; your terrors have cut me off.

17 They came round about me daily like water; they compassed me about together.

18 Lover and friend have you put far from me, and my acquaintance into darkness.