Psalm 88

This psalm is a song that the sons of Korah wrote for the music leader. Use special music. It is a special song by Heman the Ezrahite.

A sad cry for God's help

1 Lord, you are the God who rescues me.

I call out to you in the day,

and I pray for help at night.

2 Please listen to my prayer!

I am calling to you for help!

3 There is a lot of trouble in my life.

I feel that I am near to death.

4 People see me as if I am already in my grave.

I feel completely helpless.

5 I am the same as people who have died.

Their bodies already lie in their graves.

You do not remember them any more.

You cannot use your power to help them.

6 You have put me in the deep hole of death,

far down in a very dark place.

7 Your anger is very heavy on me.

It is like the waves of the sea that knock me down.

8 You have caused my best friends

to keep away from me.

They do not even want to look at me.

A trap has caught me

and I cannot escape.

9 My eyes have become weak

because I am so sad.

Lord, every day I call to you for help.

I lift my hands up to you as I pray.

10 Your great miracles do not help dead people!

Dead people cannot get up and praise you!

11 People in their graves

cannot talk about your faithful love!

In the world of death,

they cannot say how faithful you are.

12 In those dark places,

they do not see your miracles.

In that place where people forget everything,

they cannot know about the good things that you do.

13 But as for me, Lord,

I call to you for help.

Every morning I pray to you.

14 Lord, why do you throw me out?

Why do you turn away from me?

15 Since I was young, I have been in pain.

I have always been near to death.

You have caused bad troubles to frighten me,

so that I feel helpless.

16 Your anger is too much for me!

You are attacking me and destroying me!

17 The troubles that you send are all around me,

like a flood of deep water.

They come very near to me,

on every side.

18 You cause my friends and my neighbours

to stay away from me.

All that I have near to me is darkness.