Psalm 88:1-8

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.

¹Lord, you are the God who saves me;^(A)
day and night I cry out^(B) to you.
²May my prayer come before you;
turn your ear to my cry.

³I am overwhelmed with troubles^(C)
    and my life draws near to death.^(D)
⁴I am counted among those who go down to the pit;^(E)
    I am like one without strength.^(F)
⁵I 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.

⁶You have put me in the lowest pit,
    in the darkest depths.^(H)
⁷Your wrath^(I) lies heavily on me;
    you have overwhelmed me with all your waves.^[d]^(J)
⁸You have taken from me my closest friends^(K)
    and have made me repulsive to them.
I am confined^(L) and cannot escape;^(M)

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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.