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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”

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!
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.
I remember God and I moan.
    I complain, and my spirit grows tired. Selah

You’ve kept my eyelids from closing.
    I’m so upset I can’t even speak.
I think about days long past;
    I remember years that seem an eternity in the past.
I meditate with my heart at night;[b]
    I complain, and my spirit keeps searching:
“Will my Lord reject me forever?
    Will he never be pleased again?
Has his faithful love come to a complete end?
    Is his promise over for future generations?
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

  1. Psalm 77:2 Or soul
  2. Psalm 77:6 LXX; MT I remember my song in the night.