Psalm 88/Translation/Text
From Psalms: Layer by Layer
Psalm 88 Text
| Text (Hebrew) | Verse | Text (CBC) The Close-but-clear translation (CBC) exists to provide a window into the Hebrew text according to how we understand its syntax and word-to-phrase-level semantics. It is designed to be "close" to the Hebrew, while still being "clear." Specifically, the CBC encapsulates and reflects the following layers of analysis: grammar, lexical semantics, phrase-level semantics, and verbal semantics. It does not reflect our analysis of the discourse or of poetics. It is not intended to be used as a stand-alone translation or base text, but as a supplement to Layer-by-Layer materials to help users make full use of these resources. |
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| שִׁ֥יר מִזְמ֗וֹר לִבְנֵ֫י קֹ֥רַח | 1 | A song. A psalm. By the sons of Korah. |
| לַמְנַצֵּ֣חַ עַל־מָחֲלַ֣ת לְעַנּ֑וֹת | For the director. About illness, for self-affliction. | |
| מַ֝שְׂכִּ֗יל לְהֵימָ֥ן הָאֶזְרָחִֽי׃ | A maskil. By Heman the Ezrahite. | |
| יְ֭הוָה אֱלֹהֵ֣י יְשׁוּעָתִ֑י | 2 | YHWH, God of my salvation, |
| יוֹם־צָעַ֖קְתִּי בַלַּ֣יְלָה נֶגְדֶּֽךָ׃ | I have been crying out day and night before you. | |
| תָּב֣וֹא לְ֭פָנֶיךָ תְּפִלָּתִ֑י | 3 | May my prayer find favor with you! |
| הַטֵּֽה־אָ֝זְנְךָ֗ לְרִנָּתִֽי׃ | Incline your ear to my cry! | |
| כִּֽי־שָֽׂבְעָ֣ה בְרָע֣וֹת נַפְשִׁ֑י | 4 | For I am weary of troubles, |
| וְחַיַּ֗י לִשְׁא֥וֹל הִגִּֽיעוּ׃ | And my life has reached Sheol. | |
| נֶ֭חְשַׁבְתִּי עִם־י֣וֹרְדֵי ב֑וֹר | 5 | I am counted with those who go down to the Pit. |
| הָ֝יִ֗יתִי כְּגֶ֣בֶר אֵֽין־אֱיָֽל׃ | I have become just like a man who has no strength. | |
| בַּמֵּתִ֗ים חָ֫פְשִׁ֥י | 6 | [I am] an outcast among the dead, |
| כְּמ֤וֹ חֲלָלִ֨ים ׀ שֹׁ֥כְבֵי קֶ֗בֶר | just like the slain ones who are lying in the tomb, | |
| אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹ֣א זְכַרְתָּ֣ם ע֑וֹד | whom you do not remember anymore, | |
| וְ֝הֵ֗מָּה מִיָּדְךָ֥ נִגְזָֽרוּ׃ | and [who] have been cut off from your care. | |
| שַׁ֭תַּנִי בְּב֣וֹר תַּחְתִּיּ֑וֹת | 7 | You have put me in the lowest pit, |
| בְּ֝מַחֲשַׁכִּ֗ים בִּמְצֹלֽוֹת׃ | in dark places, in watery depths. | |
| עָ֭לַי סָמְכָ֣ה חֲמָתֶ֑ךָ | 8 | Your outbursts of wrath have been lying heavily on me, |
| וְכָל־מִ֝שְׁבָּרֶ֗יךָ עִנִּ֥יתָ סֶּֽלָה׃ | and you have been afflicting me with all your waves. Selah. | |
| הִרְחַ֥קְתָּ מְיֻדָּעַ֗י מִ֫מֶּ֥נִּי | 9 | you have caused my acquaintances to shun me. |
| שַׁתַּ֣נִי תוֹעֵב֣וֹת לָ֑מוֹ | You have made me repulsive to them. | |
| כָּ֝לֻ֗א | [You have made me] shut in, | |
| וְלֹ֣א אֵצֵֽא׃ | so that I cannot get out. | |
| עֵינִ֥י דָאֲבָ֗ה מִנִּ֫י עֹ֥נִי | 10 | My eyes have languished from misery. |
| קְרָאתִ֣יךָ יְהוָ֣ה בְּכָל־י֑וֹם | I have been calling to you, YHWH, every day. | |
| שִׁטַּ֖חְתִּי אֵלֶ֣יךָ כַפָּֽי׃ | I have been spreading out my hands to you. | |
| הֲלַמֵּתִ֥ים תַּעֲשֶׂה־פֶּ֑לֶא | 11 | Do you perform wonders for the dead? |
| אִם־רְ֝פָאִ֗ים יָק֤וּמוּ ׀ יוֹד֬וּךָ סֶּֽלָה׃ | Do the departed spirits rise up to praise you? Selah. | |
| הַיְסֻפַּ֣ר בַּקֶּ֣בֶר חַסְדֶּ֑ךָ | 12 | Is your faithful love recounted in the tomb? |
| אֱ֝מֽוּנָתְךָ֗ בָּאֲבַדּֽוֹן׃ | [Is] your faithfulness [recounted] in the place of destruction? | |
| הֲיִוָּדַ֣ע בַּחֹ֣שֶׁךְ פִּלְאֶ֑ךָ | 13 | Can your wonders be known in the dark region? |
| וְ֝צִדְקָתְךָ֗ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ נְשִׁיָּֽה׃ | And [can] your righteousness [be known] in the land of oblivion? | |
| וַאֲנִ֤י ׀ אֵלֶ֣יךָ יְהוָ֣ה שִׁוַּ֑עְתִּי | 14 | But I have been crying out to you for help, YHWH, |
| וּ֝בַבֹּ֗קֶר תְּֽפִלָּתִ֥י תְקַדְּמֶֽךָּ׃ | and my prayer will keep welcoming you in the morning. | |
| לָמָ֣ה יְ֭הוָה תִּזְנַ֣ח נַפְשִׁ֑י | 15 | Why, YHWH, do you keep rejecting me? |
| תַּסְתִּ֖יר פָּנֶ֣יךָ מִמֶּֽנִּי׃ | [Why] do you keep hiding your face from me? | |
| עָ֘נִ֤י אֲנִ֣י וְגֹוֵ֣עַ מִנֹּ֑עַר | 16 | I [have been] afflicted and close to death from [my] youth, |
| נָשָׂ֖אתִי אֵמֶ֣יךָ | I’ve been suffering your terrifying assaults, | |
| *אֶפּוֹרָה*׃ | and keep being torn apart. | |
| עָ֭לַי עָבְר֣וּ חֲרוֹנֶ֑יךָ | 17 | Your outbursts of wrath have been sweeping over me; |
| בִּ֝עוּתֶ֗יךָ *צִמְּתוּנִי*׃ | Your terrifying assaults have been destroying me. | |
| סַבּ֣וּנִי כַ֭מַּיִם כָּל־הַיּ֑וֹם | 18 | They have been surrounding me like water constantly; |
| הִקִּ֖יפוּ עָלַ֣י יָֽחַד׃ | They have been closing in on me together. | |
| הִרְחַ֣קְתָּ מִ֭מֶּנִּי אֹהֵ֣ב וָרֵ֑עַ | 19 | You have caused all my friends and companions to shun me; |
| מְֽיֻדָּעַ֥י *מֵחֹשֶׁךְ*׃ | 19b | You have caused my acquaintances to shun my distress. |