Font Size
Psalm 88
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition
Psalm 88
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition
88 Of understanding, for Ethan the Ezrahite.
2 The mercies of the Lord I will sing for ever. I will shew forth thy truth with my mouth to generation and generation.
3 For thou hast said: Mercy shall be built up for ever in the heavens: thy truth shall be prepared in them.
4 I have made a covenant with my elect: I have sworn to David my servant:
5 Thy seed will I settle for ever. And I will build up thy throne unto generation and generation.
6 The heavens shall confess thy wonders, O Lord: and thy truth in the church of the saints.
7 For who in the clouds can be compared to the Lord: or who among the sons of God shall be like to God?
8 God, who is glorified in the assembly of the saints: great and terrible above all them that are about him.
9 O Lord God of hosts, who is like to thee? thou art mighty, O Lord, and thy truth is round about thee.
10 Thou rulest the power of the sea: and appeasest the motion of the waves thereof.
11 Thou hast humbled the proud one, as one that is slain: with the arm of thy strength thou hast scattered thy enemies.
12 Thine are the heavens, and thine is the earth: the world and the fulness thereof thou hast founded:
13 The north and the sea thou hast created. Thabor and Hermon shall rejoice in thy name:
14 Thy arm is with might. Let thy hand be strengthened, and thy right hand exalted:
15 Justice and judgment are the preparation of thy throne. Mercy and truth shall go before thy face:
16 Blessed is the people that knoweth jubilation. They shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance:
17 And in thy name they shall rejoice all the day, and in thy justice they shall be exalted.
18 For thou art the glory of their strength: and in thy good pleasure shall our horn be exalted.
19 For our protection is of the Lord, and of our king the holy one of Israel.
20 Then thou spokest in a vision to thy saints, and saidst: I have laid help upon one that is mighty, and have exalted one chosen out of my people.
21 I have found David my servant: with my holy oil I have anointed him.
22 For my hand shall help him: and my arm shall strengthen him.
23 The enemy shall have no advantage over him: nor the son of iniquity have power to hurt him.
24 And I will cut down his enemies before his face; and them that hate him I will put to flight.
25 And my truth and my mercy shall be with him: and in my name shall his horn be exalted.
26 And I will set his hand in the sea; and his right hand in the rivers.
27 He shall cry out to me: Thou art my father: my God, and the support of my salvation.
28 And I will make him my firstborn, high above the kings of the earth.
29 I will keep my mercy for him for ever: and my covenant faithful to him.
30 And I will make his seed to endure for evermore: and his throne as the days of heaven.
31 And if his children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments:
32 If they profane my justices: and keep not my commandments:
33 I will visit their iniquities with a rod: and their sins with stripes.
34 But my mercy I will not take away from him: nor will I suffer my truth to fail.
35 Neither will I profane my covenant: and the words that proceed from my mouth I will not make void.
36 Once have I sworn by my holiness: I will not lie unto David:
37 His seed shall endure for ever.
38 And his throne as the sun before me: and as the moon perfect for ever, and a faithful witness in heaven.
39 But thou hast rejected and despised: thou hast been angry with thy anointed.
40 Thou hast overthrown the covenant of thy servant: thou hast profaned his sanctuary on the earth.
41 Thou hast broken down all his hedges: thou hast made his strength fear.
42 All that pass by the way have robbed him: he is become a reproach to his neighbours.
43 Thou hast set up the right hand of them that oppress him: thou hast made all his enemies to rejoice.
44 Thou hast turned away the help of his sword; and hast not assisted him in battle.
45 Thou hast made his purification to cease: and thou hast cast his throne down to the ground.
46 Thou hast shortened the days of his time: thou hast covered him with confusion.
47 How long, O Lord, turnest thou away unto the end? shall thy anger burn like fire?
48 Remember what my substance is for hast thou made all the children of men in vain?
49 Who is the man that shall live, and not see death: that shall deliver his soul from the hand of hell?
50 Lord, where are thy ancient mercies, according to what thou didst swear to David in thy truth?
51 Be mindful, O Lord, of the reproach of thy servants (which I have held in my bosom) of many nations:
52 Wherewith thy enemies have reproached, O Lord; wherewith they have reproached the change of thy anointed.
53 Blessed be the Lord for evermore. So be it. So be it.
Psalm 88
New King James Version
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.
2 Let my prayer come before You;
[b]Incline Your ear to my cry.
3 For my soul is full of troubles,
And my life (C)draws near to the grave.
4 I 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.
6 You have laid me in the lowest pit,
In darkness, in the depths.
7 Your 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;
9 My eye wastes away because of affliction.
(I)Lord, I have called daily upon You;
I have stretched out my hands to You.
10 Will You work wonders for the dead?
Shall [f]the dead arise and praise You? Selah
11 Shall Your lovingkindness be declared in the grave?
Or Your faithfulness in the place of destruction?
12 Shall Your wonders be known in the dark?
And Your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?
13 But to You I have cried out, O Lord,
And in the morning my prayer comes before You.
14 Lord, why do You cast off my soul?
Why do You hide Your face from me?
15 I have been afflicted and ready to die from my youth;
I suffer Your terrors;
I am distraught.
16 Your fierce wrath has gone over me;
Your terrors have [g]cut me off.
17 They 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.
Footnotes
- Psalm 88:1 Heb. Maschil
- Psalm 88:2 Listen to
- Psalm 88:4 Die
- Psalm 88:5 Lit. Free
- Psalm 88:8 taken away my friends
- Psalm 88:10 shades, ghosts
- Psalm 88:16 destroyed me
Psalm 88
New International Version
Psalm 88
New International Version
Psalm 88[a]
A song. A psalm of the Sons of Korah. For the director of music. According to mahalath leannoth.[b] A maskil[c] of Heman the Ezrahite.
1 Lord, you are the God who saves me;(A)
day and night I cry out(B) to you.
2 May my prayer come before you;
turn your ear to my cry.
3 I am overwhelmed with troubles(C)
and my life draws near to death.(D)
4 I am counted among those who go down to the pit;(E)
I am like one without strength.(F)
5 I am set apart with the dead,
like the slain who lie in the grave,
whom you remember no more,
who are cut off(G) from your care.
6 You have put me in the lowest pit,
in the darkest depths.(H)
7 Your wrath(I) lies heavily on me;
you have overwhelmed me with all your waves.[d](J)
8 You have taken from me my closest friends(K)
and have made me repulsive to them.
I am confined(L) and cannot escape;(M)
9 my eyes(N) are dim with grief.
I call(O) to you, Lord, every day;
I spread out my hands(P) to you.
10 Do you show your wonders to the dead?
Do their spirits rise up and praise you?(Q)
11 Is your love declared in the grave,
your faithfulness(R) in Destruction[e]?
12 Are your wonders known in the place of darkness,
or your righteous deeds in the land of oblivion?
13 But I cry to you for help,(S) Lord;
in the morning(T) my prayer comes before you.(U)
14 Why, Lord, do you reject(V) me
and hide your face(W) from me?
15 From my youth(X) I have suffered(Y) and been close to death;
I have borne your terrors(Z) and am in despair.(AA)
16 Your wrath(AB) has swept over me;
your terrors(AC) have destroyed me.
17 All day long they surround me like a flood;(AD)
they have completely engulfed me.
18 You have taken from me friend(AE) and neighbor—
darkness is my closest friend.
Footnotes
- Psalm 88:1 In Hebrew texts 88:1-18 is numbered 88:2-19.
- Psalm 88:1 Title: Possibly a tune, “The Suffering of Affliction”
- Psalm 88:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 88:7 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 10.
- Psalm 88:11 Hebrew Abaddon
Psalm 88
English Standard Version
Psalm 88
English Standard Version
I Cry Out Day and Night Before You
A Song. A Psalm of (A)the Sons of Korah. To the choirmaster: according to (B)Mahalath Leannoth. A Maskil[a] of (C)Heman the Ezrahite.
88 O Lord, (D)God of my salvation,
I (E)cry out day and night before you.
2 Let my prayer come before you;
(F)incline your ear to my cry!
3 For my soul is full of troubles,
and (G)my life draws near to (H)Sheol.
4 I am counted among those who (I)go down to the pit;
I am a man who has no strength,
5 like one set loose among the dead,
like the slain that lie in the grave,
like those whom (J)you remember no more,
for they are (K)cut off from your hand.
6 You have put me in (L)the depths of the pit,
in the (M)regions dark and (N)deep.
7 Your wrath (O)lies heavy upon me,
and you overwhelm me with (P)all your waves. Selah
8 You have caused (Q)my companions to shun me;
you have made me (R)a horror[b] to them.
I am (S)shut in so that I cannot escape;
9 (T)my eye grows dim through sorrow.
Every day I call upon you, O Lord;
I (U)spread out my hands to you.
10 Do you work wonders for the dead?
(V)Do the departed rise up to praise you? Selah
11 Is your steadfast love declared in the grave,
or your faithfulness in Abaddon?
12 Are your (W)wonders known in (X)the darkness,
or your righteousness in the land of (Y)forgetfulness?
13 But I, O Lord, cry (Z)to you;
(AA)in the morning my prayer comes before you.
14 O Lord, why (AB)do you cast my soul away?
Why (AC)do you hide your face from me?
15 Afflicted and close to death from my youth up,
I suffer your terrors; I am helpless.[c]
16 Your wrath has swept over me;
your (AD)dreadful assaults destroy me.
17 They (AE)surround me like a flood (AF)all day long;
they (AG)close in on me together.
18 You have caused (AH)my beloved and my friend to shun me;
my companions have become darkness.[d]
Footnotes
- Psalm 88:1 Probably musical or liturgical terms
- Psalm 88:8 Or an abomination
- Psalm 88:15 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain
- Psalm 88:18 Or darkness has become my only companion
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition (DRA)
Public Domain (Why are modern Bible translations copyrighted?)
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.