A Song or Psalm for the sons of Korah, to the Overcomer: to sing upon Mahalath, Maschil of Heman the Ezrahite.
1 ¶ O LORD God of my saving health, I cry day and night before Thee;
2 let my prayer come before thee; incline thine ear unto my cry;
3 for my soul is full of troubles, and my life draws near unto Sheol.
4 I am counted with those that go down into the pit; I am as a man that has no strength:
5 Freed among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, whom thou dost remember no more; and they are cut off from thy hand.
6 Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps.
7 Thy wrath lies hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves. Selah.
8 Thou hast put away mine acquaintances far from me; thou hast made me an abomination unto them; I am shut up, and I cannot come forth.
9 My eye mourns by reason of affliction; LORD, I have called daily upon thee; I have stretched out my hands unto thee.
10 ¶ Wilt thou show wonders to the dead? shall the dead arise and praise thee? Selah.
11 Shall thy mercy be declared in the grave? or thy truth in hell?
12 Shall thy wonder be known in darkness? and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?
13 But unto thee have I cried, O LORD; and in the morning shall my prayer come before thee.
14 LORD, why dost thou cast off my soul? why dost thou hide thy face from me?
15 I am afflicted and destitute; from my youth up I have feared thee and been in awe of thee.
16 Thy fierce wrath goes over me; thy terrors have cut me off.
17 They came round about me daily like water; they compassed me about together.
18 Thou hast put lover and friend far from me, and placed my acquaintances into darkness.