¹ A Song, a Psalm of the sons of Korah; for the Chief Musician; set to Mahalath Leannoth. Maschil of Heman the Ezrahite. O Jehovah, the God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee.

² Let my prayer enter into thy presence; Incline thine ear unto my cry.

³ For my soul is full of troubles, And my life draweth nigh unto Sheol.

⁴ I am reckoned with them that go down into the pit; I am as a man that hath no help,

⁵ Cast off among the dead, Like the slain that lie in the grave, Whom thou rememberest no more, And they are cut off from thy hand.

⁶ Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, In dark places, in the deeps.

⁷ Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, And thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves. [Selah

⁸ Thou hast put mine acquaintance far from me; Thou hast made me an abomination unto them: I am shut up, and I cannot come forth.

⁹ Mine eye wasteth away by reason of affliction: I have called daily upon thee, O Jehovah; I have spread forth my hands unto thee.

¹⁰ Wilt thou show wonders to the dead? Shall they that are deceased arise and praise thee? [Selah

¹¹ Shall thy lovingkindness be declared in the grave? Or thy faithfulness in Destruction?

¹² Shall thy wonders be known in the dark? And thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?

¹³ But unto thee, O Jehovah, have I cried; And in the morning shall my prayer come before thee.

¹⁴ Jehovah, why castest thou off my soul? Why hidest thou thy face from me?

¹⁵ I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up: While I suffer thy terrors I am distracted.

¹⁶ Thy fierce wrath is gone over me; Thy terrors have cut me off.

¹⁷ They came round about me like water all the day long; They compassed me about together.

¹⁸ Lover and friend hast thou put far from me, And mine acquaintance into darkness.