TORAH

FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES

NEVI'IM

PROPHETS

KETUVIM

WRITINGS

Chapter 88

Translation and Transliteration of

Listen to this chapter in Hebrew:

1A song. A psalm of the Korahites. For the leader; on mahalath leannoth. A maskil of Hayman the Ezrahite.

SHIR miz-MOR liv-NEI ko-RACH la-men-a-TZE-ach al-ma-cha-LAT le-a-NOt mas-KIL le-HEY-man ha-ez-ra-KHEE

אשִׁ֥יר מִזְמ֗וֹר לִבְנֵ֫י־קֹ֥רַח לַמְנַצֵּ֣חַ עַל־מָחֲלַ֣ת לְעַנּ֑וֹת מַ֝שְׂכִּ֗יל לְהֵימָ֥ן הָאֶזְרָחִֽי׃

2Hashem, God of my deliverance, when I cry out in the night before You,

a-do-NAI e-lo-HAY y'-shu-a-TEE, yom-tza-a-K'-tee ba-la-Y'-la ne-g'-DE-kha

ביְ֭הֹוָה אֱלֹהֵ֣י יְשׁוּעָתִ֑י יוֹם־צָעַ֖קְתִּי בַלַּ֣יְלָה נֶגְדֶּֽךָ׃

3let my prayer reach You; incline Your ear to my cry.

ta-VO l'-fa-NE-kha t'-fi-LA-tee ha-TEH a-Z'-ne-kha l'-ri-NA-tee

גתָּב֣וֹא לְ֭פָנֶיךָ תְּפִלָּתִ֑י הַטֵּ֥ה אׇ֝זְנְךָ֗ לְרִנָּתִֽי׃

4For I am sated with misfortune; I am at the brink of Sheol.

ki-sa-VO-a v'-ra-OT naf-SHEE, v'-kha-YAI lish-Ol hi-gi-U

דכִּֽי־שָׂבְעָ֣ה בְרָע֣וֹת נַפְשִׁ֑י וְחַיַּ֗י לִשְׁא֥וֹל הִגִּֽיעוּ׃

5I am numbered with those who go down to the Pit; I am a helpless man

nekh-SHAV-tee im-yor-DAY bo-OR ha-YEE-tee ke-GE-ver AYN-e-YAL

הנֶ֭חְשַׁבְתִּי עִם־י֣וֹרְדֵי ב֑וֹר הָ֝יִ֗יתִי כְּגֶ֣בֶר אֵֽין־אֱיָֽל׃

6abandoned among the dead, like bodies lying in the grave of whom You are mindful no more, and who are cut off from Your care.

ba-ME-tim kho-F'-shi ke-MO kha-la-LEEM sho-KH'-vay KE-ver a-SHER lo z'-khar-TAM OD v'-he-MA mi-yad-KHA nig-za-RO

ובַּמֵּתִ֗ים חׇ֫פְשִׁ֥י כְּמ֤וֹ חֲלָלִ֨ים ׀ שֹׁ֥כְבֵי קֶ֗בֶר אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹ֣א זְכַרְתָּ֣ם ע֑וֹד וְ֝הֵ֗מָּה מִיָּדְךָ֥ נִגְזָֽרוּ׃

7You have put me at the bottom of the Pit, in the darkest places, in the depths.

sha-TA-nee b'-VOR takh-tee-YOT b'-ma-kha-SHA-kim b'-m'-tzo-LOT

זשַׁ֭תַּנִי בְּב֣וֹר תַּחְתִּיּ֑וֹת בְּ֝מַחֲשַׁכִּ֗ים בִּמְצֹלֽוֹת׃

8Your fury lies heavy upon me; You afflict me with all Your breakers. Selah.

a-LAI sam-KHA cha-MA-te-KHA, v'-kol mish-BA-re-KHA i-NI-ta SE-la

חעָ֭לַי סָמְכָ֣ה חֲמָתֶ֑ךָ וְכׇל־מִ֝שְׁבָּרֶ֗יךָ עִנִּ֥יתָ סֶּֽלָה׃

9You make my companions shun me; You make me abhorrent to them; I am shut in and do not go out.

hir-KHAK-ta me-yu-DA-a-ai mi-m'-NEE sha-TA-ni to-E-vot la-MO, KA-lu v'-LO e-TSE

טהִרְחַ֥קְתָּ מְיֻדָּעַ֗י מִ֫מֶּ֥נִּי שַׁתַּ֣נִי תוֹעֵב֣וֹת לָ֑מוֹ כָּ֝לֻ֗א וְלֹ֣א אֵצֵֽא׃

10My eyes pine away from affliction; I call to You, Hashem, each day; I stretch out my hands to You.

EY-nee da-a-VAH mi-NEE-o-NEE k'-ra-TI-kha a-do-NAI b'-KOL yom shi-TAKH-tee e-LE-kha kha-PAI

יעֵינִ֥י דָאֲבָ֗ה מִנִּ֫י־עֹ֥נִי קְרָאתִ֣יךָ יְהֹוָ֣ה בְּכׇל־י֑וֹם שִׁטַּ֖חְתִּי אֵלֶ֣יךָ כַפָּֽי׃

11Do You work wonders for the dead? Do the shades rise to praise You? Selah.

ha-la-ME-tim ta-a-SEH-PE-le a-im re-fa-EEM ya-KU-mu yo-DU-kha SE-la

יאהֲלַמֵּתִ֥ים תַּעֲשֶׂה־פֶּ֑לֶא אִם־רְ֝פָאִ֗ים יָק֤וּמוּ ׀ יוֹד֬וּךָ סֶּֽלָה׃

12Is Your faithful care recounted in the grave, Your constancy in the place of perdition?

ha-y'-su-PAR ba-KE-ver khas-DE-kha e-MU-na-TE-kha ba-a-va-DON

יבהַיְסֻפַּ֣ר בַּקֶּ֣בֶר חַסְדֶּ֑ךָ אֱ֝מ֥וּנָתְךָ֗ בָּאֲבַדּֽוֹן׃

13Are Your wonders made known in the netherworld, Your beneficent deeds in the land of oblivion?

ha-yi-va-DA ba-KHO-shekh pil-E-kha, v'-tzi-d'-KA-te-kha b'-E-retz n'-shi-YA

יגהֲיִוָּדַ֣ע בַּחֹ֣שֶׁךְ פִּלְאֶ֑ךָ וְ֝צִדְקָתְךָ֗ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ נְשִׁיָּֽה׃

14As for me, I cry out to You, Hashem; each morning my prayer greets You.

va-a-NEE e-LE-kha a-do-NAI shi-va-TI u-va-bo-KER t'-fi-LA-tee t'-ka-de-ME-kha

ידוַאֲנִ֤י ׀ אֵלֶ֣יךָ יְהֹוָ֣ה שִׁוַּ֑עְתִּי וּ֝בַבֹּ֗קֶר תְּֽפִלָּתִ֥י תְקַדְּמֶֽךָּ׃

15Why, Hashem, do You reject me, do You hide Your face from me?

la-MAH a-do-NAI tiz-NAKH naf-SHEE tas-TEEr pa-NE-kha mi-ME-ni

טולָמָ֣ה יְ֭הֹוָה תִּזְנַ֣ח נַפְשִׁ֑י תַּסְתִּ֖יר פָּנֶ֣יךָ מִמֶּֽנִּי׃

16From my youth I have been afflicted and near death; I suffer Your terrors wherever I turn.

a-NEE v'-go-E-a mi-NO-ar, na-SA-tee e-ME-kha a-foo-NAH

טזעָ֘נִ֤י אֲנִ֣י וְגֹוֵ֣עַ מִנֹּ֑עַר נָשָׂ֖אתִי אֵמֶ֣יךָ אָפֽוּנָה׃

17Your fury overwhelms me; Your terrors destroy me.

a-LAI a-vo-RU kha-RO-ne-KHA bi-u-TE-kha tzi-m'-TU-tu-NEE

יזעָ֭לַי עָבְר֣וּ חֲרוֹנֶ֑יךָ בִּ֝עוּתֶ֗יךָ צִמְּתוּתֻֽנִי׃

18They swirl about me like water all day long; they encircle me on every side.

sa-BU-nee kha-MA-yim kol ha-YOM hi-KI-fu a-LAI ya-KHAD

יחסַבּ֣וּנִי כַ֭מַּיִם כׇּל־הַיּ֑וֹם הִקִּ֖יפוּ עָלַ֣י יָֽחַד׃

19You have put friend and neighbor far from me and my companions out of my sight.

hir-KHAK-ta mi-ME-nee o-HAYV va-RAY-a m'-yu-da-AI makh-SHAKH

יטהִרְחַ֣קְתָּ מִ֭מֶּנִּי אֹהֵ֣ב וָרֵ֑עַ מְֽיֻדָּעַ֥י מַחְשָֽׁךְ׃

88:19 And my companions out of my sight

This psalm is similar to a lamentation, as it ends on a very sad note. Though unusual, this type of psalm also belongs in the Psalter, which depicts a range of human experiences, and not only those with “happy endings.” While scholars debate the identity of the authors of the psalm, since verse 1 attributes it to both the sons of Korach and Hayman the Ezrahite, the Sages suggest that the psalm was authored by the congregation of Israel as a whole. At times of total darkness and exile, the Jewish people struggle to find words to express faith in God’s ultimate salvation. While the last words reflect this horrible state of bleak loneliness, we should note that the entire psalm was directed to Hashem, God of salvation (verse 2). God desires our expressions of suffering and our cries. This, too, is His praise.