Chapter 77

1For the conductor on jeduthun, a song of Asaph.   אלַֽמְנַצֵּ֥חַ עַל־יְדוּת֗וּן (כתיב יְדיּת֗וּן) לְאָסָ֥ף מִזְמֽוֹר:
on jeduthun: Concerning the decrees and the laws that pass over Israel.  
2My voice is to God, and I shall cry out; my voice is to God, and hearken to me.   בקוֹלִ֣י אֶל־אֱלֹהִ֣ים וְאֶצְעָ֑קָה קוֹלִ֥י אֶל־אֱ֜לֹהִ֗ים וְהַֽאֲזִ֥ין אֵלָֽי:
3On the day of my distress, I sought the Lord; my wound oozes at night and does not abate; my soul refuses to be comforted.   גבְּי֥וֹם צָֽרָתִי֘ אֲדֹנָ֪י דָּ֫רָ֥שְׁתִּי יָדִ֚י | לַ֣יְלָה נִ֖גְּרָה וְלֹ֣א תָפ֑וּג מֵֽאֲנָ֖ה הִנָּחֵ֣ם נַפְשִֽׁי:
my wound: Heb. ידי, lit. my hand; my wound.  
my wound oozes: In this exile, which is like night, it oozes pus and gall.  
and does not abate: Its oozing does not abate.  
4I remember God and I stir; I speak and my spirit becomes faint, forever.   דאֶזְכְּרָ֣ה אֱלֹהִ֣ים וְאֶֽהֱמָיָ֑ה אָשִׂ֓יחָה | וְתִתְעַטֵּ֖ף רוּחִ֣י סֶֽלָה:
I remember God: The kindness that He used to do for me in the days of my love.  
I speak: about those acts of kindness and the favors.  
and my spirit becomes faint: Pasmer in Old French, to faint or swoon.  
5You held fast the awakenings of my eyes; I throb and I do not speak.   האָחַזְתָּ שְׁמֻר֣וֹת עֵינָ֑י נִ֜פְעַ֗מְתִּי וְלֹ֣א אֲדַבֵּֽר:
You held fast the awakenings of my eyes: Heb. שמרות, an expression of the watch (אשמרת) of the night, for [when] a person awakens from his sleep his mind is settled and his heart returns to him, but I am not like that. In this night of exile, my eyes are always stuck together, like a man sleeping from a clogged heart, and in the troubles that I see, my spirit throbs and I have no speech within me.  
6I think of days of yore, ancient years.   וחִשַּׁ֣בְתִּי יָמִ֣ים מִקֶּ֑דֶם שְׁ֜נ֗וֹת עֽוֹלָמִֽים:
I think of the days of yore: to remember the kind acts that You performed for our forefathers.  
7I recall my music at night; I speak with my heart and my spirit searches.   זאֶזְכְּרָ֥ה נְגִינָתִ֗י בַּ֫לָּ֥יְלָה עִם־לְבָבִ֥י אָשִׂ֑יחָה וַיְחַפֵּ֥שׂ רוּחִֽי:
I recall my music at night: In the days of this exile, which is like night, I remember my melodies that I used to play in days of yore in the Temple.  
I speak with my heart: I think, and my spirit searches [to ascertain] what is the manner of the Holy One, blessed be He, and I wonder: will He forsake [me] forever?  
8"Will the Lord forsake [me] forever and nevermore be appeased?   חהַֽלְע֣וֹלָמִים יִזְנַ֥ח | אֲדֹנָ֑י וְלֹֽא־יֹסִ֖יף לִרְצ֣וֹת עֽוֹד:
9Has His kindness ended forever? Has He issued a decree for all generations?   טהֶֽאָפֵ֣ס לָנֶ֣צַח חַסְדּ֑וֹ גָּ֥מַר א֜֗וֹמֶר לְדֹ֣ר וָדֹֽר:
Has… ended forever: Perhaps His kind acts have ended?  
Has He issued a decree: a perpetual decree that He will never again repent of His anger?  
10Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has He, in anger, shut off His mercy forever?"   יהֲשָׁכַ֣ח חַנּ֣וֹת אֵ֑ל אִם־קָפַ֨ץ בְּאַ֖ף רַֽחֲמָ֣יו סֶֽלָה:
Has… forgotten to be gracious: Heb. חנות, to be gracious, like עשוֹת, to do; ראוֹת, to see. Another explanation: חנות means gracious acts.  
Has He, in anger, shut off His mercy forever: Heb. קפץ, an expression of (Deut. 15:7): “and do not close (תקפץ) your hand,” i.e., has He shut off the mercy forever because of the anger?  
11And I said, "This is to terrify me, the change of the right hand of the Most High."   יאוָֽאֹמַר חַלּ֣וֹתִי הִ֑יא שְׁ֜נ֗וֹת יְמִ֣ין עֶלְיֽוֹן:
And I said, “This is to terrify me”: My thoughts tell me, “This is only to terrify me and frighten me into returning to Him.”  
to terrify me: Heb. חלותי, like לחלוֹתי, to terrify me, an expression of sickness and terror.  
the change of the right hand of the Most High: How the right hand of the Most High changed. It was mighty with strength and now He has withdrawn His right hand.  
12I recall the deeds of Yah when I remember Your wonder from time immemorial.   יבאֶזְכּ֥וֹר (כתיב אֶזְכֹּ֥יר) מַֽעַלְלֵי־יָ֑הּ כִּי־אֶזְכְּרָ֖ה מִקֶּ֣דֶם פִּלְאֶֽךָ:
13And I meditate over all Your works, and I speak of Your deeds.   יגוְהָגִ֥יתִי בְכָל־פָּֽעֳלֶ֑ךָ וּבַֽעֲלִ֖ילוֹתֶ֣יךָ אָשִֽׂיחָה:
And I meditate over all Your works: that You have already done for us.  
14O God, Your way is in sanctity. Who is a power as great as God?   ידאֱלֹהִים בַּקֹּ֣דֶשׁ דַּרְכֶּ֑ךָ מִי־אֵ֥ל גָּ֜ד֗וֹל כֵּֽאלֹהִֽים:
Your way is in sanctity: Your manner is to sanctify Your name in the world, to execute justice upon the wicked.  
15You are the God Who works wonders; You made known Your might among the peoples.   טואַתָּ֣ה הָ֖אֵל עֹ֣שֵׂה פֶ֑לֶא הוֹדַ֖עְתָּ בָֽעַמִּ֣ים עֻזֶּֽךָ:
16You redeemed Your people with Your arm, the sons of Jacob and Joseph forever.   טזגָּאַ֣לְתָּ בִּֽזְר֣וֹעַ עַמֶּ֑ךָ בְּנֵי־יַֽעֲקֹ֖ב וְיוֹסֵ֣ף סֶֽלָה:
17The waters perceived You, O God, the waters perceived You, they trembled, even the deeps quaked.   יזרָ֘א֚וּךָ מַּ֨יִם | אֱֽלֹהִ֗ים רָא֣וּךָ מַּ֣יִם יָחִ֑ילוּ אַ֖ף יִרְגְּז֣וּ תְהֹמֽוֹת:
The waters perceived You: [The] mighty [waters perceived You] when You were revealed by the sea.  
18They poured forth thick waters; the skies let out a voice, even your arrows went abroad.   יחזֹ֚רְמוּ מַ֨יִם | עָב֗וֹת ק֖וֹל נָֽתְנ֣וּ שְׁחָקִ֑ים אַף־חֲ֜צָצֶ֗יךָ יִתְהַלָּֽכוּ:
They poured forth thick waters: The skies poured forth a stream of thick waters.  
Your arrows: Heb. חצציך, like חִצֶי.  
19The sound of Your thunder is like a wheel; the lightning illuminated the world; the earth shook and quaked.   יטק֚וֹל רַֽעַמְךָ֨ | בַּגַּלְגַּ֗ל הֵאִ֣ירוּ בְרָקִ֣ים תֵּבֵ֑ל רָֽגְזָ֥ה וַתִּרְעַ֣שׁ הָאָֽרֶץ:
like a wheel: Heb. בגלגל, like כגלגל. The sound of Your thunder [rolled] like a wheel on the sea to confuse the camp of the Egyptians.  
20In the sea was Your way, and Your path in the mighty waters, and Your steps were not known.   כבַּיָּ֚ם | דַּרְכֶּ֗ךָ ֖וּשְׁבִֽילְךָ (כתיב וּ֖שְׁבִֽילְיךָ) בְּמַ֣יִם רַבִּ֑ים וְ֜עִקְּבוֹתֶ֗יךָ לֹ֣א נוֹדָֽעוּ:
and Your steps were not known: The steps are not recognizable on the water. [The word] ועקבותי means trazes in Old French, footprints.  
21You led Your people like sheep by the hand of Moses and Aaron.   כאנָחִ֣יתָ כַצֹּ֣אן עַמֶּ֑ךָ בְּֽיַד־מֹשֶׁ֥ה וְאַֽהֲרֹֽן: