Chapter 88

  A Song. A Psalm. Of the sons of Korah. To the chief music-maker; put to Mahalath Leannoth. Maschil. Of Heman the Ezrahite.
O Lord, God of my salvation, I have been crying to you for help by day and by night:  

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  Let my prayer come before you; give ear to my cry:  

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  For my soul is full of evils, and my life has come near to the underworld.  

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  I am numbered among those who go down into the earth; I have become like a man for whom there is no help:  

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  My soul is among the dead, like those in the underworld, to whom you give no more thought; for they are cut off from your care.  

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  You have put me in the lowest deep, even in dark places.  

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  The weight of your wrath is crushing me, all your waves have overcome me. (Selah.)  

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  You have sent my friends far away from me; you have made me a disgusting thing in their eyes: I am shut up, and not able to come out.  

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  My eyes are wasting away because of my trouble: Lord, my cry has gone up to you every day, my hands are stretched out to you.  

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  Will you do works of wonder for the dead? will the shades come back to give you praise? (Selah.)  

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  Will the story of your mercy be given in the house of the dead? will news of your faith come to the place of destruction?  

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  May there be knowledge of your wonders in the dark? or of your righteousness where memory is dead?  

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  But to you did I send up my cry, O Lord; in the morning my prayer came before you.  

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  Lord, why have you sent away my soul? why is your face covered from me?  

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  I have been troubled and in fear of death from the time when I was young; your wrath is hard on me, and I have no strength.  

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  The heat of your wrath has gone over me; I am broken by your cruel punishments.  

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  They are round me all the day like water; they have made a circle about me.  

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  You have sent my friends and lovers far from me; I am gone from the memory of those who are dear to me.  

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