Psalms 77:1

For the music director, Jeduthun; a psalm of Asaph. I will cry out to God ²  and call for help! I will cry out to God and he will pay attention ³  to me.

For the director of music. For Jeduthun. Of Asaph. A psalm. I cried out to God for help; I cried out to God to hear me.

<<For the choir director; according to Jeduthun. A Psalm of Asaph.>> My voice rises to God, and I will cry aloud; My voice rises to God, and He will hear me.

<<For Jeduthun, the choir director: A psalm of Asaph.>> I cry out to God without holding back. Oh, that God would listen to me!

I yell out to my God, I yell with all my might, I yell at the top of my lungs. He listens.

<To the chief music-maker. After Jeduthun. Of Asaph. A Psalm.> I was crying to God with my voice; even to God with my voice, and he gave ear to me.

I cry aloud to God, aloud to God, that he may hear me.

<<To the Chief Musician. To Jeduthun. A Psalm of Asaph.>> I cried out to God with my voice––To God with my voice; And He gave ear to me.

For the music director, Jeduthun; a psalm of Asaph. I will cry out to God ²  and call for help! I will cry out to God and he will pay attention ³  to me.

¹ sn Psalm 77. The psalmist recalls how he suffered through a time of doubt, but tells how he found encouragement and hope as he recalled the way in which God delivered Israel at the Red Sea.

² tn Heb “my voice to God.” The Hebrew verb קָרָא (qara’, “to call out; to cry out”) should probably be understood by ellipsis (see Ps 3:4) both here and in the following (parallel) line.

³ tn The perfect with vav (ו) consecutive is best taken as future here (although some translations render this as a past tense; cf. NEB, NIV). The psalmist expresses his confidence that God will respond to his prayer. This mood of confidence seems premature (see vv. 3-4), but v. 1 probably reflects the psalmist’s attitude at the end of the prayer (see vv. 13-20). Having opened with an affirmation of confidence, he then retraces how he gained confidence during his trial (see vv. 2-12).