The Consoling Memory of God’s Redemptive Works

To the Chief Musician. (A)To Jeduthun. A Psalm of Asaph.

77 I cried out to God with my voice—
To God with my voice;
And He gave ear to me.
In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord;
My hand was stretched out in the night without ceasing;
My soul refused to be comforted.
I remembered God, and was troubled;
I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah

You hold my eyelids open;
I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
I have considered the days of old,
The years of ancient times.
I call to remembrance my song in the night;
I meditate within my heart,
And my spirit [a]makes diligent search.

Will the Lord cast off forever?
And will He be favorable no more?
Has His mercy ceased forever?
Has His (B)promise failed [b]forevermore?
Has God forgotten to be gracious?
Has He in anger shut up His tender mercies? Selah

10 And I said, “This is my [c]anguish;
But I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High.”
11 I will remember the works of the Lord;
Surely I will remember Your wonders of old.
12 I will also meditate on all Your work,
And talk of Your deeds.
13 Your way, O God, is in [d]the (C)sanctuary;
Who is so great a God as our God?
14 You are the God who does wonders;
You have declared Your strength among the peoples.
15 You have with Your arm redeemed Your people,
The sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah

16 The waters saw You, O God;
The waters saw You, they were (D)afraid;
The depths also trembled.
17 The clouds poured out water;
The skies sent out a sound;
Your arrows also flashed about.
18 The voice of Your thunder was in the whirlwind;
The lightnings lit up the world;
The earth trembled and shook.
19 Your way was in the sea,
Your path in the great waters,
And Your footsteps were not known.
20 You led Your people like a flock
By the hand of Moses and Aaron.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 77:6 ponders diligently
  2. Psalm 77:8 Lit. unto generation and generation
  3. Psalm 77:10 Lit. infirmity
  4. Psalm 77:13 Or holiness

77 (For the one directing. Set to Yedutun. Mizmor of Asaph) I cried unto Elohim with my voice, even unto Elohim with my voice; and He gave ear unto me.

(3) In my yom tzoros (day of trouble) I sought Adonoi; my hand was stretched up in the lailah, and ceased not; my nefesh refused to be comforted.

(4) I remembered Elohim, and groaned; I pondered, and my ruach was overwhelmed. Selah.

(5) Thou holdest mine eyelids awake; I am so troubled that lo adaber (I cannot speak).

(6) I have considered the yamim mikedem (days of old), the shnot olamim (years long past).

(7) I called to remembrance my neginah balailah (song in the night); I communed with mine own lev; and my ruach pondered with diligent search.

(8) Will Adonoi cast off forever? And will He show favor no more?

(9) Is His chesed passed away forever? Is His promise at an end l’dor vador?

(10) Hath El (G-d) forgotten to be channot (gracious)? Hath He in anger shut up His rachamim (mercy)? Selah.

10 (11) And I said, This is my affliction; but I will remember the shanot of the Yemin Elyon (Right Hand of the Most High).

11 (12) I will remember the deeds of Hashem; surely I will remember Thy wonders mikedem (of old, of long ago).

12 (13) I will meditate also on kol po’al (all work) of Thine, and consider Thy mighty deeds.

13 (14) Thy Derech, O Elohim, is bakodesh (in holiness). Who is so gadol El as Elohim?

14 (15) Thou art HaEl oseh peleh (the G-d that doest wonders); Thou hast declared Thy oz (strength) among the amim (peoples, nations).

15 (16) Thou hast with Thine zero’a (strong arm) redeemed Thy people, the Bnei Ya’akov and Yosef. Selah.

16 (17) The mayim saw Thee, O Elohim, the mayim saw Thee; they were afraid; the tehomot (ocean depths) also writhed.

17 (18) The clouds poured down mayim; the skies resounded in thunder; Thine khitzim (arrows, i.e., lightning bolts) also went forth

18 (19) The voice of Thy thunder was in the galgal (whirlwind); the lightning lit up the tevel (world); ha’aretz trembled and quaked.

19 (20) Thy derech is in the yam (sea), and Thy path is through the mayim rabbim (great waters), and Thy footsteps are not to be discerned.

20 (21) Thou didst lead Thy people like a tzon (flock) by the yad Moshe and Aharon.