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Psalm 85-88
English Standard Version
Psalm 85-88
English Standard Version
Revive Us Again
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of (A)the Sons of Korah.
85 Lord, you were (B)favorable to your land;
you (C)restored the fortunes of Jacob.
2 You (D)forgave the iniquity of your people;
you (E)covered all their sin. Selah
3 You withdrew all your wrath;
you (F)turned from your hot anger.
4 (G)Restore us again, O God of our salvation,
and put away your indignation toward us!
5 (H)Will you be angry with us forever?
Will you prolong your anger to all generations?
6 Will you not (I)revive us again,
that your people may (J)rejoice in you?
7 Show us your steadfast love, O Lord,
and grant us your salvation.
8 (K)Let me hear what God the Lord will speak,
for he will (L)speak peace to his people, to his (M)saints;
but let them not (N)turn back to (O)folly.
9 Surely his (P)salvation is near to those who fear him,
that (Q)glory may dwell in our land.
10 (R)Steadfast love and faithfulness meet;
(S)righteousness and peace kiss each other.
11 Faithfulness springs up from the ground,
and righteousness looks down from the sky.
12 Yes, (T)the Lord will give what is good,
and our land (U)will yield its increase.
13 (V)Righteousness will go before him
and make his footsteps a way.
Great Is Your Steadfast Love
(W)A Prayer of David.
86 (X)Incline your ear, O Lord, and answer me,
for I am (Y)poor and needy.
2 Preserve my life, for I am (Z)godly;
save your servant, who (AA)trusts in you—you are my God.
3 (AB)Be gracious to me, O Lord,
for to you do I cry all the day.
4 Gladden the soul of your servant,
for (AC)to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.
5 For you, O Lord, are good and (AD)forgiving,
(AE)abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.
6 (AF)Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer;
listen to my plea for grace.
7 In (AG)the day of my trouble I call upon you,
(AH)for you answer me.
8 There is (AI)none like you among the gods, O Lord,
(AJ)nor are there any works like yours.
9 (AK)All the nations you have made shall come
and worship before you, O Lord,
and shall glorify your name.
10 For (AL)you are great and (AM)do wondrous things;
(AN)you alone are God.
11 (AO)Teach me your way, O Lord,
that I may (AP)walk in your truth;
(AQ)unite my heart to fear your name.
12 I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart,
and I will glorify your name forever.
13 (AR)For great is your steadfast love toward me;
you have (AS)delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.
14 O God, insolent men have (AT)risen up against me;
a band of ruthless men seeks my life,
and they do not set you before them.
15 But you, O Lord, are a God (AU)merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.
16 (AV)Turn to me and be gracious to me;
give your strength to (AW)your servant,
and save (AX)the son of your maidservant.
17 (AY)Show me a sign of your (AZ)favor,
that those who hate me may see and be put to shame
because you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.
Glorious Things of You Are Spoken
A Psalm of (BA)the Sons of Korah. A Song.
87 On (BB)the holy mount (BC)stands the city he founded;
2 the Lord (BD)loves the gates of Zion
more than all the dwelling places of Jacob.
3 (BE)Glorious things of you are spoken,
O (BF)city of God. Selah
4 Among those who (BG)know me I mention (BH)Rahab and Babylon;
behold, Philistia and Tyre, with (BI)Cush[a]—
“This one was born there,” they say.
5 And of Zion it shall be said,
“This one and that one were born in her”;
for the Most High himself will (BJ)establish her.
6 The Lord records as he (BK)registers the peoples,
“This one was born there.” Selah
I Cry Out Day and Night Before You
A Song. A Psalm of (BO)the Sons of Korah. To the choirmaster: according to (BP)Mahalath Leannoth. A Maskil[b] of (BQ)Heman the Ezrahite.
88 O Lord, (BR)God of my salvation,
I (BS)cry out day and night before you.
2 Let my prayer come before you;
(BT)incline your ear to my cry!
3 For my soul is full of troubles,
and (BU)my life draws near to (BV)Sheol.
4 I am counted among those who (BW)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 (BX)you remember no more,
for they are (BY)cut off from your hand.
6 You have put me in (BZ)the depths of the pit,
in the (CA)regions dark and (CB)deep.
7 Your wrath (CC)lies heavy upon me,
and you overwhelm me with (CD)all your waves. Selah
8 You have caused (CE)my companions to shun me;
you have made me (CF)a horror[c] to them.
I am (CG)shut in so that I cannot escape;
9 (CH)my eye grows dim through sorrow.
Every day I call upon you, O Lord;
I (CI)spread out my hands to you.
10 Do you work wonders for the dead?
(CJ)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 (CK)wonders known in (CL)the darkness,
or your righteousness in the land of (CM)forgetfulness?
13 But I, O Lord, cry (CN)to you;
(CO)in the morning my prayer comes before you.
14 O Lord, why (CP)do you cast my soul away?
Why (CQ)do you hide your face from me?
15 Afflicted and close to death from my youth up,
I suffer your terrors; I am helpless.[d]
16 Your wrath has swept over me;
your (CR)dreadful assaults destroy me.
17 They (CS)surround me like a flood (CT)all day long;
they (CU)close in on me together.
18 You have caused (CV)my beloved and my friend to shun me;
my companions have become darkness.[e]
Footnotes
- Psalm 87:4 Probably Nubia
- 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
Psalm 85-88
New International Version
Psalm 85-88
New International Version
Psalm 85[a]
For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.
1 You, Lord, showed favor to your land;
you restored the fortunes(A) of Jacob.
2 You forgave(B) the iniquity(C) of your people
and covered all their sins.[b]
3 You set aside all your wrath(D)
and turned from your fierce anger.(E)
4 Restore(F) us again, God our Savior,(G)
and put away your displeasure toward us.
5 Will you be angry with us forever?(H)
Will you prolong your anger through all generations?
6 Will you not revive(I) us again,
that your people may rejoice(J) in you?
7 Show us your unfailing love,(K) Lord,
and grant us your salvation.(L)
8 I will listen to what God the Lord says;
he promises peace(M) to his people, his faithful servants—
but let them not turn to folly.(N)
9 Surely his salvation(O) is near those who fear him,
that his glory(P) may dwell in our land.
10 Love and faithfulness(Q) meet together;
righteousness(R) and peace kiss each other.
11 Faithfulness springs forth from the earth,
and righteousness(S) looks down from heaven.
12 The Lord will indeed give what is good,(T)
and our land will yield(U) its harvest.
13 Righteousness goes before him
and prepares the way for his steps.
Psalm 86
A prayer of David.
1 Hear me, Lord, and answer(V) me,
for I am poor and needy.
2 Guard my life, for I am faithful to you;
save your servant who trusts in you.(W)
You are my God; 3 have mercy(X) on me, Lord,
for I call(Y) to you all day long.
4 Bring joy to your servant, Lord,
for I put my trust(Z) in you.
5 You, Lord, are forgiving and good,
abounding in love(AA) to all who call to you.
6 Hear my prayer, Lord;
listen to my cry(AB) for mercy.
7 When I am in distress,(AC) I call(AD) to you,
because you answer(AE) me.
8 Among the gods(AF) there is none like you,(AG) Lord;
no deeds can compare with yours.
9 All the nations you have made
will come(AH) and worship(AI) before you, Lord;
they will bring glory(AJ) to your name.
10 For you are great(AK) and do marvelous deeds;(AL)
you alone(AM) are God.
11 Teach me your way,(AN) Lord,
that I may rely on your faithfulness;(AO)
give me an undivided(AP) heart,
that I may fear(AQ) your name.
12 I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart;(AR)
I will glorify your name forever.
13 For great is your love toward me;
you have delivered me(AS) from the depths,
from the realm of the dead.(AT)
14 Arrogant foes are attacking me, O God;
ruthless people are trying to kill me—
they have no regard for you.(AU)
15 But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious(AV) God,
slow to anger,(AW) abounding(AX) in love and faithfulness.(AY)
16 Turn to me(AZ) and have mercy(BA) on me;
show your strength(BB) in behalf of your servant;
save me, because I serve you
just as my mother did.(BC)
17 Give me a sign(BD) of your goodness,
that my enemies may see it and be put to shame,
for you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.
Psalm 87
Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm. A song.
1 He has founded his city on the holy mountain.(BE)
2 The Lord loves the gates of Zion(BF)
more than all the other dwellings of Jacob.
3 Glorious things are said of you,
city of God:[c](BG)
4 “I will record Rahab[d](BH) and Babylon
among those who acknowledge me—
Philistia(BI) too, and Tyre(BJ), along with Cush[e]—
and will say, ‘This one was born in Zion.’”[f](BK)
5 Indeed, of Zion it will be said,
“This one and that one were born in her,
and the Most High himself will establish her.”
6 The Lord will write in the register(BL) of the peoples:
“This one was born in Zion.”
Psalm 88[g]
A song. A psalm of the Sons of Korah. For the director of music. According to mahalath leannoth.[h] A maskil[i] of Heman the Ezrahite.
1 Lord, you are the God who saves me;(BO)
day and night I cry out(BP) to you.
2 May my prayer come before you;
turn your ear to my cry.
3 I am overwhelmed with troubles(BQ)
and my life draws near to death.(BR)
4 I am counted among those who go down to the pit;(BS)
I am like one without strength.(BT)
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(BU) from your care.
6 You have put me in the lowest pit,
in the darkest depths.(BV)
7 Your wrath(BW) lies heavily on me;
you have overwhelmed me with all your waves.[j](BX)
8 You have taken from me my closest friends(BY)
and have made me repulsive to them.
I am confined(BZ) and cannot escape;(CA)
9 my eyes(CB) are dim with grief.
I call(CC) to you, Lord, every day;
I spread out my hands(CD) to you.
10 Do you show your wonders to the dead?
Do their spirits rise up and praise you?(CE)
11 Is your love declared in the grave,
your faithfulness(CF) in Destruction[k]?
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,(CG) Lord;
in the morning(CH) my prayer comes before you.(CI)
14 Why, Lord, do you reject(CJ) me
and hide your face(CK) from me?
15 From my youth(CL) I have suffered(CM) and been close to death;
I have borne your terrors(CN) and am in despair.(CO)
16 Your wrath(CP) has swept over me;
your terrors(CQ) have destroyed me.
17 All day long they surround me like a flood;(CR)
they have completely engulfed me.
18 You have taken from me friend(CS) and neighbor—
darkness is my closest friend.
Footnotes
- Psalm 85:1 In Hebrew texts 85:1-13 is numbered 85:2-14.
- Psalm 85:2 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
- Psalm 87:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 6.
- Psalm 87:4 A poetic name for Egypt
- Psalm 87:4 That is, the upper Nile region
- Psalm 87:4 Or “I will record concerning those who acknowledge me: / ‘This one was born in Zion.’ / Hear this, Rahab and Babylon, / and you too, Philistia, Tyre and Cush.”
- 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
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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.