TORAH

FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES

NEVI'IM

PROPHETS

KETUVIM

WRITINGS

Chapter 77

Translation and Transliteration of

Listen to this chapter in Hebrew:

1For the leader; on Yedutun. Of Asaf. A psalm.

la-menatze-akh al [ye-du-TUN] (yi-di-TON) l'-a-SAF miz-MOR

אלַמְנַצֵּ֥חַ עַֽל־[יְדוּת֗וּן] (ידיתון) לְאָסָ֥ף מִזְמֽוֹר׃

2I cry aloud to Hashem; I cry to Hashem that He may give ear to me.

KO-lee el e-lo-HEEM v'-etz-a-KAH, KO-lee el e-lo-HEEM v'-ha-a-ZEEN ay-LAI.

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

3In my time of distress I turn to Hashem, with my hand [uplifted]; [my eyes] flow all night without respite; I will not be comforted.

b'-YOM tza-RA-tee a-do-NAI da-ra-SH'-tee ya-DEE la-Y'-LAH ni-G'-RAH v'-LO ta-FOOG me-a-NAH hi-NA-khem naf-SHEE

גבְּי֥וֹם צָרָתִי֮ אֲדֹנָ֢י דָּ֫רָ֥שְׁתִּי יָדִ֤י ׀ לַ֣יְלָה נִ֭גְּרָה וְלֹ֣א תָפ֑וּג מֵאֲנָ֖ה הִנָּחֵ֣ם נַפְשִֽׁי׃

4I call Hashem to mind, I moan, I complain, my spirit fails. Selah.

ez-ke-RAH e-lo-HEEM v'-e-he-MA-yah a-see-KHA va-tit-a-TEF ru-KHEE se-LAH

דאֶזְכְּרָ֣ה אֱלֹהִ֣ים וְאֶהֱמָ֑יָה אָשִׂ֓יחָה ׀ וְתִתְעַטֵּ֖ף רוּחִ֣י סֶֽלָה׃

5You have held my eyelids open; I am overwrought, I cannot speak.

a-KHAZ-ta sh'-mu-ROT e-NAY, nif-a-AM-tee v'-lo a-da-BAYR

האָ֭חַזְתָּ שְׁמֻר֣וֹת עֵינָ֑י נִ֝פְעַ֗מְתִּי וְלֹ֣א אֲדַבֵּֽר׃

6My thoughts turn to days of old, to years long past.

khi-SHAV-tee ya-MEEM mi-KE-dem, sh'-NOT o-la-MEEM

וחִשַּׁ֣בְתִּי יָמִ֣ים מִקֶּ֑דֶם שְׁ֝נ֗וֹת עוֹלָמִֽים׃

7I recall at night their jibes at me; I commune with myself; my spirit inquires,

e-z'-k'-RAH n'-gi-NA-tee ba-la-y'-LA im l'-va-VEE a-see-KHA, va-y'-kha-PESH ru-KHEE

זאֶ֥זְכְּרָ֥ה נְגִינָתִ֗י בַּ֫לָּ֥יְלָה עִם־לְבָבִ֥י אָשִׂ֑יחָה וַיְחַפֵּ֥שׂ רוּחִֽי׃

8“Will Hashem reject forever and never again show favor?

ha-l'-o-la-MEEM yiz-NAKH a-do-NAI v'-lo-yo-SEEF lir-TZOT OD

חהַ֭לְעוֹלָמִים יִזְנַ֥ח ׀ אֲדֹנָ֑י וְלֹא־יֹסִ֖יף לִרְצ֣וֹת עֽוֹד׃

9Has His faithfulness disappeared forever? Will His promise be unfulfilled for all time?

he-a-FES la-NE-tsakh khas-DO, ga-MAR o-MER l'-DOR va-DOR.

טהֶאָפֵ֣ס לָנֶ֣צַח חַסְדּ֑וֹ גָּ֥מַר אֹ֝֗מֶר לְדֹ֣ר וָדֹֽר׃

10Has Hashem forgotten how to pity? Has He in anger stifled His compassion?” Selah.

ha-SHA-khakh kha-NOT EL im-ka-FATZ b'-AF ra-kha-MAV se-LAH

יהֲשָׁכַ֣ח חַנּ֣וֹת אֵ֑ל אִם־קָפַ֥ץ בְּ֝אַ֗ף רַחֲמָ֥יו סֶֽלָה׃

11And I said, “It is my fault that the right hand of the Most High has changed.”

va-o-MAR kha-LO-tee HEE, sh'-NOT ye-MEEN el-YON

יאוָ֭אֹמַר חַלּ֣וֹתִי הִ֑יא שְׁ֝נ֗וֹת יְמִ֣ין עֶלְיֽוֹן׃

12I recall the deeds of Hashem; yes, I recall Your wonders of old;

(ez-KOR) [ez-KOHR] ma-a-LEI-yah a-do-NAI, kee-ez-ko-RAH mi-KE-dem pil-E-kha

יב(אזכיר) [אֶזְכּ֥וֹר] מַעַלְלֵי־יָ֑הּ כִּֽי־אֶזְכְּרָ֖ה מִקֶּ֣דֶם פִּלְאֶֽךָ׃

13I recount all Your works; I speak of Your acts.

v'-ha-GI-ti b'-khol po-a-LE-kha u-va-a-li-LO-te-kha a-see-KHA

יגוְהָגִ֥יתִי בְכׇל־פׇּעֳלֶ֑ךָ וּֽבַעֲלִ֖ילוֹתֶ֣יךָ אָשִֽׂיחָה׃

14O Hashem, Your ways are holiness; what god is as great as Hashem?

E-lo-HIM ba-KO-desh DAR-KE-kha, mi-EL ga-DOL ke-E-lo-HIM.

ידאֱ֭לֹהִים בַּקֹּ֣דֶשׁ דַּרְכֶּ֑ךָ מִי־אֵ֥ל גָּ֝ד֗וֹל כֵּאלֹהִֽים׃

15You are the God who works wonders; You have manifested Your strength among the peoples.

a-TAH ha-EL o-SEH fe-LE a-vo-DAT ba-a-MEEM u-ZE-kha

טואַתָּ֣ה הָ֭אֵל עֹ֣שֵׂה פֶ֑לֶא הוֹדַ֖עְתָּ בָעַמִּ֣ים עֻזֶּֽךָ׃

16By Your arm You redeemed Your people, the children of Yaakov and Yosef. Selah.

ga-AL-ta biz-RO-a a-ME-kha b'-nay ya-a-KOV v'-yo-SEF se-LAH

טזגָּאַ֣לְתָּ בִּזְר֣וֹעַ עַמֶּ֑ךָ בְּנֵֽי־יַעֲקֹ֖ב וְיוֹסֵ֣ף סֶֽלָה׃

17The waters saw You, O Hashem, the waters saw You and were convulsed; the very deep quaked as well.

RA-UKH-a MA-yim, ra-UKH-a MA-yim ya-KHI-lu, AF yir-GE-zu te-HO-mot.

יזרָ֘א֤וּךָ מַּ֨יִם ׀ אֱֽלֹהִ֗ים רָא֣וּךָ מַּ֣יִם יָחִ֑ילוּ אַ֝֗ף יִרְגְּז֥וּ תְהֹמֽוֹת׃

18Clouds streamed water; the heavens rumbled; Your arrows flew about;

ZOR-mu MA-yim a-VOT KOL NAT-nu she-KA-kim af-cha-TZA-tze-KHA yit-ha-LA-khu

יחזֹ֤רְמוּ מַ֨יִם ׀ עָב֗וֹת ק֭וֹל נָֽתְנ֣וּ שְׁחָקִ֑ים אַף־חֲ֝צָצֶ֗יךָ יִתְהַלָּֽכוּ׃

19Your thunder rumbled like wheels; lightning lit up the world; the earth quaked and trembled.

KOL ra-am-KHA ba-gal-GAL hay-EE-ru v'-ra-KEEM tay-VAYL ra-g'-ZAH va-tir-ASH ha-A-retz

יטק֤וֹל רַֽעַמְךָ֨ ׀ בַּגַּלְגַּ֗ל הֵאִ֣ירוּ בְרָקִ֣ים תֵּבֵ֑ל רָגְזָ֖ה וַתִּרְעַ֣שׁ הָאָֽרֶץ׃

77:19 Your thunder rumbled like wheels

In our day-to-day lives, we rely on the predictable laws of nature, such as the rising and setting of the sun. In His great kindness, God wanted us to be able to regulate our lives, and therefore He gave us a system that we can depend on. But in spite of the apparently predictable laws of nature, in reality Hashem is orchestrating everything directly, behind the scenes. This can be demonstrated by His control over nature during the exodus from Egypt and the splitting of the sea. This is not only true about nature, but about everything that happens in this world. As much as we try to control our lives, our efforts are overshadowed by the divine will that invariably makes the final decision. There is no place where this truth is more apparent than in the Land of Israel. Hashem reminds us in Sefer Devarim (11:10), “For the land that you are about to enter and possess is not like the land of Egypt from which you have come. There the grain you sowed had to be watered by your own labors, like a vegetable garden.” The fact that Eretz Yisrael is dependent upon the rainfall for its survival ensures that its citizens live with the constant reminder that they are dependent on God for their sustenance and livelihood.

20Your way was through the sea, Your path, through the mighty waters; Your tracks could not be seen.

ba-YAM dar-KE-kha (u-SHE-vi-LE-kha) [u-SHE-vil-KHA] b'-MA-yim ra-BEEM v'-i-k'-vo-TE-kha lo no-DA-u

כבַּיָּ֤ם דַּרְכֶּ֗ךָ (ושביליך) [וּֽ֭שְׁבִילְךָ] בְּמַ֣יִם רַבִּ֑ים וְ֝עִקְּבוֹתֶ֗יךָ לֹ֣א נֹדָֽעוּ׃

21You led Your people like a flock in the care of Moshe and Aharon.

na-KHEET-a kha-TZON a-ME-kha b'-yad mo-SHEH v'-a-ha-ROn.

כאנָחִ֣יתָ כַצֹּ֣אן עַמֶּ֑ךָ בְּֽיַד־מֹשֶׁ֥ה וְאַהֲרֹֽן׃