Psalm 88 [Douay 87]

Psalm 88 in modern numbering

¹ LORD, the God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before you.

² Let my prayer enter into your presence. Turn your ear to my cry.

³ For my soul is full of troubles. My life draws near to Sheol.

⁴ I am counted among those who go down into the pit. I am like a man who has no help,

⁵ set apart among the dead, like the slain who lie in the grave, whom you remember no more. They are cut off from your hand.

⁶ You have laid me in the lowest pit, in the darkest depths.

⁷ Your wrath lies heavily on me. You have afflicted me with all your waves. Selah.

⁸ You have taken my friends from me. You have made me an abomination to them. I am confined, and I can’t escape.

⁹ My eyes are dim from grief. I have called on you daily, LORD. I have spread out my hands to you.

¹⁰ Do you show wonders to the dead? Do the departed spirits rise up and praise you? Selah.

¹¹ Is your loving kindness declared in the grave? Or your faithfulness in Destruction?

¹² Are your wonders made known in the dark? Or your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?

¹³ But to you, LORD, I have cried. In the morning, my prayer comes before you.

¹⁴ LORD, why do you reject my soul? Why do you hide 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 wrath has gone over me. Your terrors have cut me off.

¹⁷ They came around me like water all day long. They completely engulfed me.

¹⁸ You have put lover and friend far from me, and my friends into darkness.

¹ AA canticle of a psalm for the sons of Core: unto the end, for Maheleth, to answer understanding of Eman the Ezrahite.

² O Lord, the God of my salvation: I have cried in the day, and in the night before thee.

³ Let my prayer come in before thee: incline thy ear to my petition.

⁴ For my soul is filled with evils: and my life hath drawn nigh to hell.

⁵ I am counted among them that go down to the pit: I am become as a man without help,

⁶ Free among the dead. Like the slain sleeping in the sepulchres, whom thou rememberest no more: and they are cut off from thy hand.

⁷ They have laid me in the lower pit: in the dark places, and in the shadow of death.

⁸ Thy wrath is strong over me: and all thy waves thou hast brought in upon me.

⁹ Thou hast put away my acquaintance far from me: they have set me an abomination to themselves. I was delivered up, and came not forth:

¹⁰ My eyes languished through poverty. All the day I cried to thee, O Lord: I stretched out my hands to thee.

¹¹ Wilt thou shew wonders to the dead? or shall physicians raise to life, and give praise to thee?

¹² Shall any one in the sepulchre declare thy mercy: and thy truth in destruction?

¹³ Shall thy wonders be known in the dark; and thy justice in the land of forgetfulness?

¹⁴ But I, O Lord, have cried to thee: and in the morning my prayer shall prevent thee.

¹⁵ Lord, why castest thou off my prayer: why turnest thou away thy face from me?

¹⁶ I am poor, and in labours from my youth: and being exalted have been humbled and troubled.

¹⁷ Thy wrath hath come upon me: and thy terrors have troubled me.

¹⁸ They have come round about me like water all the day: they have compassed me about together.

¹⁹ Friend and neighbour thou hast put far from me: and my acquaintance, because of misery.