Psalm 77
The Message
77 I yell out to my God, I yell with all my might,
I yell at the top of my lungs. He listens.
2-6 I found myself in trouble and went looking for my Lord;
my life was an open wound that wouldn’t heal.
When friends said, “Everything will turn out all right,”
I didn’t believe a word they said.
I remember God—and shake my head.
I bow my head—then wring my hands.
I’m awake all night—not a wink of sleep;
I can’t even say what’s bothering me.
I go over the days one by one,
I ponder the years gone by.
I strum my lute all through the night,
wondering how to get my life together.
7-10 Will the Lord walk off and leave us for good?
Will he never smile again?
Is his love worn threadbare?
Has his salvation promise burned out?
Has God forgotten his manners?
Has he angrily stomped off and left us?
“Just my luck,” I said. “The High God retires
just the moment I need him.”
11-12 Once again I’ll go over what God has done,
lay out on the table the ancient wonders;
I’ll ponder all the things you’ve accomplished,
and give a long, loving look at your acts.
13-15 O God! Your way is holy!
No god is great like God!
You’re the God who makes things happen;
you showed everyone what you can do—
You pulled your people out of the worst kind of trouble,
rescued the children of Jacob and Joseph.
16-19 Ocean saw you in action, God,
saw you and trembled with fear;
Deep Ocean was scared to death.
Clouds belched buckets of rain,
Sky exploded with thunder,
your arrows flashing this way and that.
From Whirlwind came your thundering voice,
Lightning exposed the world,
Earth reeled and rocked.
You strode right through Ocean,
walked straight through roaring Ocean,
but nobody saw you come or go.
20 Hidden in the hands of Moses and Aaron,
You led your people like a flock of sheep.
Psalm 77
Amplified Bible
Comfort in Trouble from Recalling God’s Mighty Deeds.
To the Chief Musician; according to Jeduthun [one of David’s three chief musicians, founder of an official musical family]. A Psalm of Asaph.
77 My voice rises to God, and I will cry aloud;
My voice rises to God, and He will hear me.
2
In the day of my trouble I [desperately] sought the Lord;
In the night my hand was [a]stretched out [in prayer] without weariness;
My soul refused to be comforted.
3
I remember God; then I am disquieted and I groan;
I sigh [in prayer], and my spirit grows faint. Selah.
4
You have held my eyelids open;
I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
5
I have considered the ancient days,
The years [of prosperity] of long, long ago.
6
I will remember my song in the night;
I will meditate with my heart,
And my spirit searches:
7
Will the Lord reject forever?
And will He never be favorable again?
8
Has His lovingkindness ceased forever?
Have His promises ended for all time?
9
Has God forgotten to be gracious?
Or has He in anger withdrawn His compassion? Selah.
10
And I said, “This is my grief,
That the right hand of the Most High has changed [and His lovingkindness is withheld].”
11
I will [solemnly] remember the deeds of the Lord;
Yes, I will [wholeheartedly] remember Your wonders of old.
12
I will meditate on all Your works
And thoughtfully consider all Your [great and wondrous] deeds.
13
Your way, O God, is holy [far from sin and guilt].
What god is great like our God?
14
You are the [awesome] God who works [powerful] wonders;
You have demonstrated Your power among the people.
15
You have with Your [great] arm redeemed Your people,
The sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah.
16
The waters [of the Red Sea] saw You, O God;
The waters saw You, they were in anguish;
The deeps also trembled.
17
The clouds poured down water;
The skies sent out a sound [of rumbling thunder];
Your arrows (lightning) flashed here and there.
18
The voice of Your thunder was in the [b]whirlwind;
The lightnings illumined the world;
The earth trembled and shook.
19
Your way [of escape for Your people] was through the sea,
And Your paths through the great waters,
And Your footprints were not traceable.
20
You led Your people like a flock
By the hand of Moses and Aaron [to the promised goal].
Footnotes
- Psalm 77:2 Lit and did not grow numb.
- Psalm 77:18 Lit wheel, possibly referring instead to the wheels on God’s chariot.
Psalm 77
Common English Bible
Psalm 77
For the music leader. According to Jeduthun. Of Asaph. A psalm.
77 I cry out loud to God—
out loud to God so that he can hear me!
2 During the day when I’m in trouble I look for my Lord.
At night my hands are still outstretched and don’t grow numb;
my whole being[a] refuses to be comforted.
3 I remember God and I moan.
I complain, and my spirit grows tired. Selah
4 You’ve kept my eyelids from closing.
I’m so upset I can’t even speak.
5 I think about days long past;
I remember years that seem an eternity in the past.
6 I meditate with my heart at night;[b]
I complain, and my spirit keeps searching:
7 “Will my Lord reject me forever?
Will he never be pleased again?
8 Has his faithful love come to a complete end?
Is his promise over for future generations?
9 Has God forgotten how to be gracious?
Has he angrily stopped up his compassion?” Selah
10 It’s my misfortune, I thought,
that the strong hand of the Most High is different now.
11 But I will remember the Lord’s deeds;
yes, I will remember your wondrous acts from times long past.
12 I will meditate on all your works;
I will ponder your deeds.
13 God, your way is holiness!
Who is as great a god as you, God?
14 You are the God who works wonders;
you have demonstrated your strength among all peoples.
15 With your mighty arm you redeemed your people;
redeemed the children of Jacob and Joseph. Selah
16 The waters saw you, God—
the waters saw you and reeled!
Even the deep depths shook!
17 The clouds poured water,
the skies cracked thunder;
your arrows were flying all around!
18 The crash of your thunder was in the swirling storm;
lightning lit up the whole world;
the earth shook and quaked.
19 Your way went straight through the sea;
your pathways went right through the mighty waters.
But your footprints left no trace!
20 You led your people like sheep
under the care of Moses and Aaron.
Footnotes
- Psalm 77:2 Or soul
- Psalm 77:6 LXX; MT I remember my song in the night.
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson
Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible