Psalm 77

Confidence in a Time of Crisis

For the choir director: according to Jeduthun. Of Asaph.(A) A psalm.

I cry aloud to God,
aloud to God, and he will hear me.(B)
I sought the Lord in my day of trouble.
My hands were continually lifted up
all night long;
I refused to be comforted.(C)
I think of God; I groan;
I meditate; my spirit becomes weak.(D)Selah

You have kept me from closing my eyes;
I am troubled and cannot speak.(E)
I consider days of old,
years long past.(F)
At night I remember my music;
I meditate in my heart, and my spirit ponders.(G)

“Will the Lord reject forever
and never again show favor?(H)
Has his faithful love ceased forever?
Is his promise at an end for all generations?(I)
Has God forgotten to be gracious?
Has he in anger withheld his compassion?” (J)Selah

10 So I say, “I am grieved
that the right hand of the Most High has changed.”[a](K)
11 I will remember the Lord’s works;
yes, I will remember your ancient wonders.(L)
12 I will reflect on all you have done
and meditate on your actions.(M)

13 God, your way is holy.
What god is great like God?(N)
14 You are the God who works wonders;
you revealed your strength among the peoples.(O)
15 With power you redeemed your people,
the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.(P)Selah

16 The water saw you, God.
The water saw you; it trembled.
Even the depths shook.(Q)
17 The clouds poured down water.
The storm clouds thundered;
your arrows flashed back and forth.(R)
18 The sound of your thunder was in the whirlwind;
lightning lit up the world.(S)
The earth shook and quaked.(T)
19 Your way went through the sea
and your path through the vast water,
but your footprints were unseen.(U)
20 You led your people like a flock(V)
by the hand of Moses and Aaron.(W)

Footnotes

  1. 77:10 Hb obscure

Remembering God’s Help for Israel

For the music director, on Jeduthun.[a]

Of Asaph. A psalm.[b]

77 I cry out with my voice to God;
with my voice to God, that he may hear me.
In the day I have trouble, I seek[c] the Lord.
At night my hand stretches out continually;[d]
my soul refuses to be comforted.
I remember God and I groan loudly;
I meditate and my spirit grows faint.
You hold open my eyelids.
I am troubled and cannot speak.
I think about the days from long ago,
the years of ancient times.
I remember my song in the night.
With my heart I meditate,
and my spirit searches to understand.
Will the Lord reject us forever,
and will he never be pleased with us again?
Has his loyal love ceased forever?
Is his promise[e] ended throughout generations?
Has God forgotten to have compassion?
Or has he closed off his mercies in anger? Selah
10 So I said, “This pierces me—[f]
the right hand of the Most High has changed.”
11 I will remember the deeds of Yah.[g]
Surely I will remember your wonders[h] from long ago.
12 I will also muse on all your work,
and meditate on your deeds.
13 O God, your way is distinctive.[i]
Who is a great god like our God?
14 You are the God who works wonders;[j]
you have made known your might among the peoples.
15 With your arm you redeemed your people,
the children of Jacob and Joseph. Selah
16 Waters saw you, O God;
waters saw you and they trembled.
Surely the deeps shook.
17 The clouds poured out water.
The skies thundered.[k]
Your arrows also flew about.[l]
18 The sound of your thunder was in the whirlwind;[m]
lightnings lit the world;
the earth shook and quaked.
19 Your way was through the sea,
and your path[n] through many waters.
Yet your footprints were not discerned.[o]
20 You led your people like a flock
by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 77:1 One of David’s musicians (1 Chr 16:41)
  2. Psalm 77:1 The Hebrew Bible counts the superscription as the first verse of the psalm; the English verse number is reduced by one
  3. Psalm 77:2 Or “make supplication to”
  4. Psalm 77:2 Literally “it does not grow weary”
  5. Psalm 77:8 Hebrew “word”
  6. Psalm 77:10 Or “this is my sickness”
  7. Psalm 77:11 A shortened form of “Yahweh”
  8. Psalm 77:11 Hebrew “wonder”
  9. Psalm 77:13 Or “holy” or “set apart”
  10. Psalm 77:14 Hebrew “wonder”
  11. Psalm 77:17 Literally “gave voice”
  12. Psalm 77:17 Literally “walked back and forth”
  13. Psalm 77:18 Or “in your chariot wheel”
  14. Psalm 77:19 According to the reading tradition (Qere)
  15. Psalm 77:19 Hebrew “were not known”