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.
13 Your way, O God, is (V)holy.
    (W)What god is great like our God?
14 You are the God who (X)works wonders;
    you have (Y)made known your might among the peoples.
15 You (Z)with your arm redeemed your people,
    the children of Jacob and Joseph. Selah

16 When (AA)the waters saw you, O God,
    when the waters saw you, they were afraid;
    indeed, the deep trembled.
17 The clouds poured out water;
    the skies (AB)gave forth thunder;
    your (AC)arrows flashed on every side.
18 (AD)The crash of your thunder was in the whirlwind;
    (AE)your lightnings lighted up the world;
    the earth (AF)trembled and shook.
19 Your (AG)way was through the sea,
    your path through the great waters;
    yet your footprints (AH)were unseen.[c]
20 You (AI)led your people like a flock
    by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

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
  3. Psalm 77:19 Hebrew unknown

Psalm 77

For Jeduthun, the choir director: A psalm of Asaph.

I cry out to God; yes, I shout.
    Oh, that God would listen to me!
When I was in deep trouble,
    I searched for the Lord.
All night long I prayed, with hands lifted toward heaven,
    but my soul was not comforted.
I think of God, and I moan,
    overwhelmed with longing for his help. Interlude

You don’t let me sleep.
    I am too distressed even to pray!
I think of the good old days,
    long since ended,
when my nights were filled with joyful songs.
    I search my soul and ponder the difference now.
Has the Lord rejected me forever?
    Will he never again be kind to me?
Is his unfailing love gone forever?
    Have his promises permanently failed?
Has God forgotten to be gracious?
    Has he slammed the door on his compassion? Interlude

10 And I said, “This is my fate;
    the Most High has turned his hand against me.”
11 But then I recall all you have done, O Lord;
    I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago.
12 They are constantly in my thoughts.
    I cannot stop thinking about your mighty works.

13 O God, your ways are holy.
    Is there any god as mighty as you?
14 You are the God of great wonders!
    You demonstrate your awesome power among the nations.
15 By your strong arm, you redeemed your people,
    the descendants of Jacob and Joseph. Interlude

16 When the Red Sea[a] saw you, O God,
    its waters looked and trembled!
    The sea quaked to its very depths.
17 The clouds poured down rain;
    the thunder rumbled in the sky.
    Your arrows of lightning flashed.
18 Your thunder roared from the whirlwind;
    the lightning lit up the world!
    The earth trembled and shook.
19 Your road led through the sea,
    your pathway through the mighty waters—
    a pathway no one knew was there!
20 You led your people along that road like a flock of sheep,
    with Moses and Aaron as their shepherds.

Footnotes

  1. 77:16 Hebrew the waters.