Psalm 88

A Song or Psalm for the sons of Korah, to the chief Musician upon Mahalath Leannoth, Maschil of Heman the Ezrahite.

¹Lord God, my Saviour, day and night

before thee cry'd have I.

²Before thee let my prayer come;

give ear unto my cry.

³For troubles great do fill my soul;

my life draws nigh the grave.

⁴I'm counted with those that go down

to pit, and no strength have.

⁵Ev'n free among the dead, like them

that slain in grave do lie;

Cut off from thy hand, whom no more

thou hast in memory.

⁶Thou hast me laid in lowest pit,

in deeps and darksome caves.

⁷Thy wrath lies hard on me, thou hast

me press'd with all thy waves.

⁸Thou hast put far from me my friends,

thou mad'st them to abhor me;

And I am so shut up, that I

find no evasion for me.

⁹By reason of affliction

mine eye mourns dolefully:

To thee, Lord, do I call, and stretch

my hands continually.

¹⁰Wilt thou shew wonders to the dead?

shall they rise, and thee bless?

¹¹Shall in the grave thy love be told?

in death thy faithfulness?

¹²Shall thy great wonders in the dark,

or shall thy righteousness

Be known to any in the land

of deep forgetfulness?

¹³But, Lord, to thee I cry'd; my pray'r

at morn prevent shall thee.

¹⁴Why, Lord, dost thou cast off my soul,

and hid'st thy face from me?

¹⁵Distress'd am I, and from my youth

I ready am to die;

Thy terrors I have borne, and am

distracted fearfully.

¹⁶The dreadful fierceness of thy wrath

quite over me doth go:

Thy terrors great have cut me off,

they did pursue me so.

¹⁷For round about me ev'ry day,

like water, they did roll;

And, gathering together, they

have compassed my soul.

¹⁸My friends thou hast put far from me,

and him that did me love;

And those that mine acquaintance were

to darkness didst remove.