In the Day of Trouble I Seek the Lord

To the choirmaster: according to (A)Jeduthun. A Psalm of (B)Asaph.

77 I (C)cry aloud to God,
    aloud to God, and he will hear me.
(D)In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord;
    in (E)the night my (F)hand is stretched out without wearying;
    my soul (G)refuses to be comforted.
When I remember God, I (H)moan;
    when I meditate, my spirit faints. Selah

You hold my eyelids open;
    I am so (I)troubled that I cannot speak.
I consider (J)the days of old,
    the years long ago.
I said,[a] “Let me remember my (K)song in the night;
    let me (L)meditate in my heart.”
    Then my spirit made a diligent search:
“Will the Lord (M)spurn forever,
    and never again (N)be favorable?
Has his steadfast love forever ceased?
    Are his (O)promises at an end for all time?
(P)Has God forgotten to be gracious?
    (Q)Has he in anger shut up his compassion?” Selah

10 Then I said, “I will appeal to this,
    to the years of the (R)right hand of the Most High.”[b]

11 I will remember the deeds of the Lord;
    yes, I will (S)remember your wonders of old.
12 I will ponder all your (T)work,
    and meditate on your (U)mighty deeds.

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 77:6 Hebrew lacks I said
  2. Psalm 77:10 Or This is my grief: that the right hand of the Most High has changed

Psalm 77[a]

For the director of music. For Jeduthun. Of Asaph. A psalm.

I cried out to God(A) for help;
    I cried out to God to hear me.
When I was in distress,(B) I sought the Lord;
    at night(C) I stretched out untiring hands,(D)
    and I would not be comforted.(E)

I remembered(F) you, God, and I groaned;(G)
    I meditated, and my spirit grew faint.[b](H)
You kept my eyes from closing;
    I was too troubled to speak.(I)
I thought about the former days,(J)
    the years of long ago;
I remembered my songs in the night.
    My heart meditated and my spirit asked:

“Will the Lord reject forever?(K)
    Will he never show his favor(L) again?
Has his unfailing love(M) vanished forever?
    Has his promise(N) failed for all time?
Has God forgotten to be merciful?(O)
    Has he in anger withheld his compassion?(P)

10 Then I thought, “To this I will appeal:
    the years when the Most High stretched out his right hand.(Q)
11 I will remember the deeds of the Lord;
    yes, I will remember your miracles(R) of long ago.
12 I will consider(S) all your works
    and meditate on all your mighty deeds.”(T)

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 77:1 In Hebrew texts 77:1-20 is numbered 77:2-21.
  2. Psalm 77:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verses 9 and 15.

The Bride Searches for Her Beloved

She

I slept, but my heart was awake.
A sound! My beloved is (A)knocking.
“Open to me, my (B)sister, my (C)love,
    my (D)dove, my (E)perfect one,
for my head is wet with dew,
    my (F)locks with the drops of the night.”
(G)I had put off my garment;
    how could I put it on?
I had (H)bathed my feet;
    how could I soil them?

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She

I slept but my heart was awake.
    Listen! My beloved is knocking:
“Open to me, my sister, my darling,
    my dove,(A) my flawless(B) one.(C)
My head is drenched with dew,
    my hair with the dampness of the night.”
I have taken off my robe—
    must I put it on again?
I have washed my feet—
    must I soil them again?

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I opened to my beloved,
    but my beloved had turned and gone.
My soul failed me when he (A)spoke.
(B)I sought him, but found him not;
    (C)I called him, but he gave no answer.

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I opened for my beloved,(A)
    but my beloved had left; he was gone.(B)
    My heart sank at his departure.[a]
I looked(C) for him but did not find him.
    I called him but he did not answer.

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Footnotes

  1. Song of Songs 5:6 Or heart had gone out to him when he spoke

Let me hear joy and gladness;
    (A)let the bones (B)that you have broken rejoice.

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Let me hear joy and gladness;(A)
    let the bones(B) you have crushed rejoice.

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12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
    and uphold me with a willing spirit.

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12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation(A)
    and grant me a willing spirit,(B) to sustain me.(C)

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22 I had said in my (A)alarm,[a]
    “I am (B)cut off from (C)your sight.”
But you heard the voice of my pleas for mercy
    when I cried to you for help.

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 31:22 Or in my haste

22 In my alarm(A) I said,
    “I am cut off(B) from your sight!”
Yet you heard my cry(C) for mercy
    when I called to you for help.

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Why Have You Forsaken Me?

To the choirmaster: according to The Doe of the Dawn. A Psalm of David.

22 (A)My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
    Why are you so (B)far from saving me, from the words of my (C)groaning?

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Psalm 22[a]

For the director of music. To the tune of “The Doe of the Morning.” A psalm of David.

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?(A)
    Why are you so far(B) from saving me,
    so far from my cries of anguish?(C)

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 22:1 In Hebrew texts 22:1-31 is numbered 22:2-32.