1 Psalm 88 Incline Your Ear to My Cry A Song. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. For the choir director. According to Mahalath Leannoth. A 88:0Possibly Contemplative, Didactic, Skillful Psalm Maskil of Heman 88:01Kin4:31;1 Chr 2:6;Ps 89:title the Ezrahite.O Yahweh, the God of my salvation,I have cried out by day and throughout the night before You.
2 Let my prayer come before You;Incline Your ear to my cry of lamentation!
3 For my soul has been saturated with calamities,And my life has reached Sheol.
4 I am counted among those who go down to the pit;I am like a man without strength,
5 Released among the dead,Like the slain who lie in the grave,Whom You remember no more,And they are cut off from Your hand.
6 You have put me in the pit far below,In dark places, in the depths.
7 Your wrath lies upon me,And You afflict me with all Your breaking waves. 88:7Selah may mean Pause, Crescendo, Musical Interlude Selah.
8 You have removed my acquaintances far from me;You have set me as 88:8 Lit abominations an abomination to them;I am shut up and cannot go out.
9 My eye has wasted away because of affliction;I have called upon You every day, O Yahweh;I have spread out my 88:9Lit palms hands to You.
10 ¶Will You do wonders for the dead?Will the 88:10Or ghosts, shades departed spirits riseandpraise You?Selah.
11 Will Your lovingkindness be recounted in the grave,Your faithfulness in 88:11Lit the realm of destruction Abaddon?
12 Will Your wonders be known in the darkness?And Your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?
13 ¶But as for me, O Yahweh, I have cried out to You for help,And in the morning my prayer comes before You.
14 O Yahweh, why do You reject my soul?Whydo You hide Your face from me?
15 Ihave beenafflicted and about to breathe my last frommyyouth on;I bear Your terrors; I am 88:15Or embarrassed overcome.
16 Your burning anger has passed over me;Your horrors have 88:16Or silenced destroyed me.
17 They have surrounded me like water all day long;They have encompassed me altogether.
18 You have removed lover and friend far from me;My acquaintances areindarkness.