[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.