Psalms 77

1 To the chief Musician, to Jeduthun, A Psalm of Asaph. I cried to God with my voice, even to God with my voice; and he gave ear to me.

I cry out to God; I cry aloud to him, and he hears me.

2 In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord: my sore ran in the night, and ceased not: my soul refused to be comforted.

Whenever have trouble, I pray to the Lord; all during the night I lift up my hands while I pray, [but] nothing causes me to be comforted.

3 I remembered God, and was troubled: I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. (Selah)

When I think about God, I (despair/think that he will never help me); when I meditate about him, I am discouraged.

4 Thou holdest my eyes waking: I am so troubled that I cannot speak.

[All during the night] he prevents me from sleeping; I am very worried, with the result that I do not know what to say.

5 I have considered the days of old, the years of ancient times.

I think about days that have passed; I remember [what happened in] previous years.

6 I call to remembrance my song in the night: I commune with my own heart: and my spirit made diligent search.

I spend the whole night thinking [about things]; I meditate, and this is what I ask myself:

7 Will the Lord cast off for ever? and will he be favourable no more?

“Will the Lord always reject us? Will he never again be pleased with us?

8 Is his mercy wholly gone for ever? doth his promise fail for evermore?

Has he stopped faithfully loving us? Will he not do for us what he promised to do?

9 Hath God forgotten to be gracious? hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies? (Selah)

God promised to be merciful to us; has he forgotten that? Because he is angry [with us], has he decided to not be kind to us?”

10 And I said, This is my infirmity: but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High.

Then I said, “What causes me to be [very] sad is that [it seems that] God, who is greater than any other god, is no longer powerful.”

11 I will remember the works of the LORD: surely I will remember thy wonders of old.

[But then], Yahweh, I recall/remember your great deeds; I remember the wonderful things that you did in the past.

12 I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings.

I meditate on all that you have done, and I think about your mighty acts.

13 Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a God as our God?

God, everything that you do is holy; there is certainly no god [RHQ] who is great like you are!

14 Thou art the God that doest wonders: thou hast declared thy strength among the people.

You are God, the one who performs miracles; you showed to people of many people-groups that you are powerful.

15 Thou hast with thy arm redeemed thy people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph. (Selah)

By your power [MTY] you rescued your people [from Egypt]; you saved those who were descendants of Jacob and [his son] Joseph.

16 The waters saw thee, O God, the waters saw thee; they were afraid: the depths also were troubled.

[It was as though] the waters [of the Red Sea] saw you and became very afraid, and even the deepest part of the water shook.

17 The clouds poured out water: the skies sent out a sound: thy arrows also went abroad.

Rain poured down from the clouds [PRS]; it thundered [very loudly] [PRS], and lightning flashed in all directions.

18 The voice of thy thunder was in the heaven: the lightnings lightened the world: the earth trembled and shook.

Thunder crashed in the whirlwind, and lightning (lit up/flashed across) the entire sky [HYP]; the earth shook violently [DOU].

19 Thy way is in the sea, and thy path in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not known.

[Then] you walked through the sea on a path that you made through the deep water, but your footprints could not be seen.

20 Thou leddest thy people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

You led your people like [a shepherd leads his] flock [of sheep], while Moses and Aaron were the leaders [of your people].