Psalm 88

New King James Version

A Prayer for Help in Despondency

A Song. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. To the Chief Musician. Set to “Mahalath Leannoth.” A ^[a]Contemplation of ^(A)Heman the Ezrahite.

88 O Lord, ^(B)God of my salvation,
I have cried out day and night before You.
²Let my prayer come before You;
^[b]Incline Your ear to my cry.

³For my soul is full of troubles,
And my life ^(C)draws near to the grave.
⁴I am counted with those who ^(D)go^[c] down to the pit;
^(E)I am like a man who has no strength,
⁵^[d]Adrift among the dead,
Like the slain who lie in the grave,
Whom You remember no more,
And who are cut off from Your hand.

⁶You have laid me in the lowest pit,
In darkness, in the depths.
⁷Your wrath lies heavy upon me,
And You have afflicted me with all ^(F)Your waves. Selah
⁸^(G)You have ^[e]put away my acquaintances far from me;
You have made me an abomination to them;
^(H)I am shut up, and I cannot get out;
⁹My eye wastes away because of affliction.

^(I)Lord, I have called daily upon You;
I have stretched out my hands to You.
¹⁰Will You work wonders for the dead?
Shall ^[f]the dead arise and praise You? Selah
¹¹Shall Your lovingkindness be declared in the grave?
Or Your faithfulness in the place of destruction?
¹²Shall Your wonders be known in the dark?
And Your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?

¹³But to You I have cried out, O Lord,
And in the morning my prayer comes before You.
¹⁴Lord, why do You cast off my soul?
Why do You hide Your face from me?
¹⁵I have been afflicted and ready to die from my youth;
I suffer Your terrors;
I am distraught.
¹⁶Your fierce wrath has gone over me;
Your terrors have ^[g]cut me off.
¹⁷They came around me all day long like water;
They engulfed me altogether.
¹⁸^(J)Loved one and friend You have put far from me,
And my acquaintances into darkness.