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Psalm 88 in Hebrew and English

19 verses, about 2 minutes to read aloud. The Hebrew has its vowel points and the English stands under each verse.

The text of the psalm

שִׁיר מִזְמוֹר לִבְנֵי קֹרַח לַמְנַצֵּחַ עַל־מָחֲלַת לְעַנּוֹת מַשְׂכִּיל לְהֵימָן הָאֶזְרָחִֽי׃

A Song, a Psalm of the sons of Korah; for the Leader; upon Mahalath Leannoth. Maschil of Heman the Ezrahite.

יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵי יְשׁוּעָתִי יוֹם־צָעַקְתִּי בַלַּיְלָה נֶגְדֶּֽךָ׃

O LORD, God of my salvation, What time I cry in the night before Thee,

תָּבוֹא לְפָנֶיךָ תְּפִלָּתִי הַטֵּה־אָזְנְךָ לְרִנָּתִֽי׃

Let my prayer come before Thee, Incline Thine ear unto my cry.

כִּי־שָׂבְעָה בְרָעוֹת נַפְשִׁי וְחַיַּי לִשְׁאוֹל הִגִּֽיעוּ׃

For my soul is sated with troubles, And my life draweth nigh unto the grave.

נֶחְשַׁבְתִּי עִם־יוֹרְדֵי בוֹר הָיִיתִי כְּגֶבֶר אֵֽין־אֱיָֽל׃

I am counted with them that go down into the pit; I am become as a man that hath no help;

בַּמֵּתִים חָפְשִׁי כְּמוֹ חֲלָלִים שֹׁכְבֵי קֶבֶר אֲשֶׁר לֹא זְכַרְתָּם עוֹד וְהֵמָּה מִיָּדְךָ נִגְזָֽרוּ׃

Set apart among the dead, Like the slain that lie in the grave, Whom Thou rememberest no more; And they are cut off from Thy hand. .

שַׁתַּנִי בְּבוֹר תַּחְתִּיּוֹת בְּמַחֲשַׁכִּים בִּמְצֹלֽוֹת׃

Thou hast laid me in the nether-most pit, In dark places, in the deeps.

עָלַי סָמְכָה חֲמָתֶךָ וְכָל־מִשְׁבָּרֶיךָ עִנִּיתָ סֶּֽלָה׃

Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, And all Thy waves Thou pressest down. Selah

הִרְחַקְתָּ מְיֻדָּעַי מִמֶּנִּי שַׁתַּנִי תוֹעֵבוֹת לָמוֹ כָּלֻא וְלֹא אֵצֵֽא׃

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.

עֵינִי דָאֲבָה מִנִּי עֹנִי קְרָאתִיךָ יְהוָה בְּכָל־יוֹם שִׁטַּחְתִּי אֵלֶיךָ כַפָּֽי׃

Mine eye languisheth by reason of affliction; I have called upon Thee, O LORD, every day, I have spread forth my hands unto Thee.

הֲלַמֵּתִים תַּעֲשֶׂה־פֶּלֶא אִם־רְפָאִים יָקוּמוּ יוֹדוּךָ סֶּֽלָה׃

Wilt Thou work wonders for the dead? Or shall the shades arise and give Thee thanks? Selah

הַיְסֻפַּר בַּקֶּבֶר חַסְדֶּךָ אֱמוּנָתְךָ בָּאֲבַדּֽוֹן׃

Shall Thy mercy be declared in the grave? Or Thy faithfulness in destruction?

הֲיִוָּדַע בַּחֹשֶׁךְ פִּלְאֶךָ וְצִדְקָתְךָ בְּאֶרֶץ נְשִׁיָּֽה׃

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

וַאֲנִי אֵלֶיךָ יְהוָה שִׁוַּעְתִּי וּבַבֹּקֶר תְּפִלָּתִי תְקַדְּמֶֽךָּ׃

But as for me, unto Thee, O LORD, do I cry, And in the morning doth my prayer come to meet Thee.

לָמָה יְהוָה תִּזְנַח נַפְשִׁי תַּסְתִּיר פָּנֶיךָ מִמֶּֽנִּי׃

LORD, why castest Thou off my soul? Why hidest Thou Thy face from me?

עָנִי אֲנִי וְגֹוֵעַ מִנֹּעַר נָשָׂאתִי אֵמֶיךָ אָפֽוּנָה׃

I am afflicted and at the point of death from my youth up; I have borne Thy terrors, I am distracted.

עָלַי עָבְרוּ חֲרוֹנֶיךָ בִּעוּתֶיךָ צִמְּתוּתֻֽנִי׃

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

סַבּוּנִי כַמַּיִם כָּל־הַיּוֹם הִקִּיפוּ עָלַי יָֽחַד׃

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

הִרְחַקְתָּ מִמֶּנִּי אֹהֵב וָרֵעַ מְיֻדָּעַי מַחְשָֽׁךְ׃

Friend and companion hast Thou put far from me, And mine acquaintance into darkness.

The Hebrew is the Leningrad Codex, compared with a second edition letter by letter. The English is the Jewish Publication Society translation of 1917, in the public domain.

Where this psalm is read

  • The third of the five books of Psalms
  • Read in the monthly cycle on day 18 of the Hebrew month
  • Read in the weekly cycle on Wednesday
  • Its heading names the sons of Korah and Heman the Ezrahite
  • 19 verses, 142 words, about 2 minutes to read

Psalms that are read with this one

All 150 psalms and today's reading·Prayers by the time they are said

Questions about this psalm

How many verses does Psalm 88 have?

Psalm 88 has 19 verses and 142 words.

On which day is Psalm 88 read in the monthly and weekly cycles?

In the monthly cycle it is read on day 18 of the Hebrew month, and in the weekly cycle on Wednesday.

Whose name is in the heading of Psalm 88?

The heading names the sons of Korah and Heman the Ezrahite.

How long does it take to read Psalm 88?

About 2 minutes, at a steady pace.