CORPUS-PSALTERIUMVol. IV
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Corpus Psalterium · Vol. IV

Psalm LXXVII (77)

Cantillated — Lament Turning

Paul Whitehorn

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Psalm 77 in Hebrew and English, and the words as they are sung.

Heb 1

For the Chief Musician. To Jeduthun. A Psalm by Asaph.

לַמְנַצֵּ֥חַ עַֽל־ידיתון לְאָסָ֥ף מִזְמֽוֹר׃

1Heb 2

My cry goes to God! Indeed, I cry to God for help, and for him to listen to me.

קוֹלִ֣י אֶל־אֱלֹהִ֣ים וְאֶצְעָ֑קָה קוֹלִ֥י אֶל־אֱ֝לֹהִ֗ים וְהַאֲזִ֥ין אֵלָֽי׃

2Heb 3

In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord. My hand was stretched out in the night, and didn’t get tired. My soul refused to be comforted.

בְּי֥וֹם צָרָתִי֮ אֲדֹנָ֪י דָּ֫רָ֥שְׁתִּי יָדִ֤י ׀ לַ֣יְלָה נִ֭גְּרָה וְלֹ֣א תָפ֑וּג מֵאֲנָ֖ה הִנָּחֵ֣ם נַפְשִֽׁי׃

3Heb 4

I remember God, and I groan. I complain, and my spirit is overwhelmed. Selah.

אֶזְכְּרָ֣ה אֱלֹהִ֣ים וְאֶֽהֱמָיָ֑ה אָשִׂ֓יחָה ׀ וְתִתְעַטֵּ֖ף רוּחִ֣י סֶֽלָה׃

4Heb 5

You hold my eyelids open. I am so troubled that I can’t speak.

אָ֭חַזְתָּ שְׁמֻר֣וֹת עֵינָ֑י נִ֝פְעַ֗מְתִּי וְלֹ֣א אֲדַבֵּֽר׃

5Heb 6

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

חִשַּׁ֣בְתִּי יָמִ֣ים מִקֶּ֑דֶם שְׁ֝נ֗וֹת עוֹלָמִֽים׃

6Heb 7

I remember my song in the night. I consider in my own heart; my spirit diligently inquires:

אֶֽזְכְּרָ֥ה נְגִינָתִ֗י בַּ֫לָּ֥יְלָה עִם־לְבָבִ֥י אָשִׂ֑יחָה וַיְחַפֵּ֥שׂ רוּחִֽי׃

7Heb 8

“Will the Lord reject us forever? Will he be favorable no more?

הַֽ֭לְעוֹלָמִים יִזְנַ֥ח ׀ אֲדֹנָ֑י וְלֹֽא־יֹסִ֖יף לִרְצ֣וֹת עֽוֹד׃

8Heb 9

Has his loving kindness vanished forever? Does his promise fail for generations?

הֶאָפֵ֣ס לָנֶ֣צַח חַסְדּ֑וֹ גָּ֥מַר אֹ֝֗מֶר לְדֹ֣ר וָדֹֽר׃

9Heb 10

Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he, in anger, withheld his compassion?” Selah.

הֲשָׁכַ֣ח חַנּ֣וֹת אֵ֑ל אִם־קָפַ֥ץ בְּ֝אַ֗ף רַחֲמָ֥יו סֶֽלָה׃

10Heb 11

Then I thought, “I will appeal to this: the years of the right hand of the Most High.”

וָ֭אֹמַר חַלּ֣וֹתִי הִ֑יא שְׁ֝נ֗וֹת יְמִ֣ין עֶלְיֽוֹן׃

11Heb 12

I will remember Yah’s deeds; for I will remember your wonders of old.

אזכיר מַֽעַלְלֵי־יָ֑הּ כִּֽי־אֶזְכְּרָ֖ה מִקֶּ֣דֶם פִּלְאֶֽךָ׃

12Heb 13

I will also meditate on all your work, and consider your doings.

וְהָגִ֥יתִי בְכָל־פָּעֳלֶ֑ךָ וּֽבַעֲלִ֖ילוֹתֶ֣יךָ אָשִֽׂיחָה׃

13Heb 14

Your way, God, is in the sanctuary. What god is great like God?

אֱ֭לֹהִים בַּקֹּ֣דֶשׁ דַּרְכֶּ֑ךָ מִי־אֵ֥ל גָּ֝ד֗וֹל כֵּֽאלֹהִֽים׃

14Heb 15

You are the God who does wonders. You have made your strength known among the peoples.

אַתָּ֣ה הָ֭אֵל עֹ֣שֵׂה פֶ֑לֶא הוֹדַ֖עְתָּ בָעַמִּ֣ים עֻזֶּֽךָ׃

15Heb 16

You have redeemed your people with your arm, the sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah.

גָּאַ֣לְתָּ בִּזְר֣וֹעַ עַמֶּ֑ךָ בְּנֵי־יַעֲקֹ֖ב וְיוֹסֵ֣ף סֶֽלָה׃

16Heb 17

The waters saw you, God. The waters saw you, and they writhed. The depths also convulsed.

רָ֘א֤וּךָ מַּ֨יִם ׀ אֱֽלֹהִ֗ים רָא֣וּךָ מַּ֣יִם יָחִ֑ילוּ אַ֝֗ף יִרְגְּז֥וּ תְהֹמֽוֹת׃

17Heb 18

The clouds poured out water. The skies resounded with thunder. Your arrows also flashed around.

זֹ֤רְמוּ מַ֨יִם ׀ עָב֗וֹת ק֭וֹל נָתְנ֣וּ שְׁחָקִ֑ים אַף־חֲ֝צָצֶ֗יךָ יִתְהַלָּֽכוּ׃

18Heb 19

The voice of your thunder was in the whirlwind. The lightnings lit up the world. The earth trembled and shook.

ק֤וֹל רַעַמְךָ֨ ׀ בַּגַּלְגַּ֗ל הֵאִ֣ירוּ בְרָקִ֣ים תֵּבֵ֑ל רָגְזָ֖ה וַתִּרְעַ֣שׁ הָאָֽרֶץ׃

19Heb 20

Your way was through the sea, your paths through the great waters. Your footsteps were not known.

בַּיָּ֤ם דַּרְכֶּ֗ךָ ושביליך בְּמַ֣יִם רַבִּ֑ים וְ֝עִקְּבוֹתֶ֗יךָ לֹ֣א נֹדָֽעוּ׃

20Heb 21

You led your people like a flock, by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

נָחִ֣יתָ כַצֹּ֣אן עַמֶּ֑ךָ בְּֽיַד־מֹשֶׁ֥ה וְאַהֲרֹֽן׃

Hebrew: Westminster Leningrad Codex (public domain), from the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible. English: World English Bible (public domain). Verse numbers follow the English Bible; the Hebrew numbering is shown beneath where it differs.

My voice to God

I cry out

My voice to God

hear me

In the day of my trouble

I seek the Lord

My hand in the night

stretched out, not ceasing

My soul

refuses comfort

I remember God

and I groan

I meditate

my spirit faints

You hold my eyes

awake in the night

I am troubled

I cannot speak

I consider the days of old

years long past

Will the Lord reject forever

Will He never again be pleased

Has His steadfast love ended

for all generations

Has God forgotten mercy

Has His compassion ceased

I remember my song

in the night

I speak with my heart

my spirit searches

Is His promise gone

is His word finished

Has His grace failed

has His mercy closed

And I said

this is my grief

The years

of the right hand of the Most High

I will remember

the deeds of the Lord

I will remember

Your wonders of old

I will meditate

on all Your work

I will speak

of Your mighty acts

Your way, O God

is holy

Who is a God

great like our God

You are the God

who works wonders

You have made known

Your strength among the peoples

You redeemed Your people

with Your arm

The sons of Jacob

and Joseph

You redeemed

You redeemed

The waters saw You

they trembled

The depths shook

at Your presence

The clouds poured water

the skies thundered

Your arrows flashed

across the earth

Your thunder rolled

in the whirlwind

Lightning lit the world

the earth trembled

Your way was in the sea

Your path in the great waters

Your footsteps unseen

Your path unknown

Yet You led Your people

like a flock

You led them

You led them

By the hand

of Moses and Aaron

You led Your people

You led them

Lyrics by Paul Whitehorn: a singable English rendering of the Hebrew, as sung on this recording.

Corpus Psalterium sets each psalm to music by its Hebrew grammar. Didactic psalms teach; Cantillated psalms are spoken, sung or performed before God. Hear all 150 psalms free.

About these songs. They are a summary and a commentary on the Psalms, not a word-for-word translation. Read what these songs are →

What These Songs Are, and What They Are Not

These songs are not a word-for-word translation of the Psalms. They were never meant to be. Nor do they try to capture every idea in every psalm. In a song, that would be impossible.

What we have done is capture the essence of each psalm: what matters most in it. Think of each song as a summary. Think of it as a cheat sheet. The purpose of the psalm is still being met. God's word to mankind is still being heard.

Behind many of these lines is word research: deep study of the meaning of the Hebrew. So where a line sounds different from your translation, and you think it is wrong, study it. We believe you will find that the essence of what we sing is true.

The truth is that no one can set the Psalms to music without also becoming a commentator. That is what this is. It is a modern commentary on the Psalms: not only the Psalms themselves, and not only the Psalms being sung. So do not think that every word of the psalm is here. It is not. Read the psalm itself, in full.

Why do this at all? Because we believe God intended humanity to be surrounded by His word. This was always the entertainment He wanted us to have: not hours of television, not a day lost in a phone looking at nonsense. The blessed man of Psalm 1 meditates on God's word day and night. How can we meditate on His word if we do not surround ourselves with it?

As ministers, our first responsibility is to share God's word with people. That is what these songs are for.

Paul Whitehorn