1 I cried unto God with my voice, even unto God with my voice; and he gave ear unto 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.
3 I remembered God, and was troubled: I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah.
4 Thou holdest mine eyes waking: I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
5 I have considered the days of old, the years of ancient times.
6 I call to remembrance my song in the night: I commune with mine own heart: and my spirit made diligent search.
7 Will the Lord cast off for ever? and will he be favourable no more?
8 Is his mercy clean gone for ever? doth his promise fail for evermore?
9 Hath God forgotten to be gracious? hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies? Selah.
10 And I said, This is my infirmity: but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High.
11 I will remember the works of the Lord: surely I will remember thy wonders of old.
12 I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings.
13 Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a God as our God?
14 Thou art the God that doest wonders: thou hast declared thy strength among the people.
15 Thou hast with thine arm redeemed thy people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah.
16 The waters saw thee, O God, the waters saw thee; they were afraid: the depths also were troubled.
17 The clouds poured out water: the skies sent out a sound: thine arrows also went abroad.
18 The voice of thy thunder was in the heaven: the lightnings lightened the world: the earth trembled and shook.
19 Thy way is in the sea, and thy path in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not known.
20 Thou leddest thy people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
<html><b>on jeduthun</b> Concerning the decrees and the laws that pass over Israel.</html>
<html><b>my wound</b> Heb. ידי, lit. my hand; my wound. <b>my wound oozes</b> In this exile, which is like night, it oozes pus and gall. <b>and does not abate</b> Its oozing does not abate.</html>
<html><b>I remember God</b> The kindness that He used to do for me in the days of my love. <b>I speak</b> about those acts of kindness and the favors. <b>and my spirit becomes faint</b> Pasmer in Old French, to faint or swoon.</html>
<html><b>You held fast the awakenings of my eyes</b> 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.</html>
<html><b>I think of the days of yore</b> to remember the kind acts that You performed for our forefathers.</html>
<html><b>I recall my music at night</b> 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. <b>I speak with my heart</b> 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?</html>
<html><b>Has…ended forever</b> Perhaps His kind acts have ended? <b>Has He issued a decree</b> a perpetual decree that He will never again repent of His anger?</html>
<html><b>Has…forgotten to be gracious</b> Heb. חנות, to be gracious, like עשוֹת, to do; ראוֹת, to see. Another explanation: חנות means gracious acts. <b>Has He, in anger, shut off His mercy forever</b> 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?</html>
<html><b>And I said, “This is to terrify me”</b> My thoughts tell me, “This is only to terrify me and frighten me into returning to Him.” <b>to terrify me</b> Heb. חלותי, like לחלוֹתי, to terrify me, an expression of sickness and terror. <b>the change of the right hand of the Most High</b> How the right hand of the Most High changed. It was mighty with strength and now He has withdrawn His right hand.</html>
<html><b>And I meditate over all Your works</b> that You have already done for us.</html>
<html><b>Your way is in sanctity</b> Your manner is to sanctify Your name in the world, to execute justice upon the wicked.</html>
<html><b>The waters perceived You</b> [The] mighty [waters perceived You] when You were revealed by the sea.</html>
<html><b>They poured forth thick waters</b> The skies poured forth a stream of thick waters. <b>Your arrows</b> Heb. חצציך, like חִצֶיךָ.</html>
<html><b>like a wheel</b> Heb. בגלגל, like כגלגל. The sound of Your thunder [rolled] like a wheel on the sea to confuse the camp of the Egyptians.</html>
<html><b>and Your steps were not known</b> The steps are not recognizable on the water. [The word] ועקבותיךָ means trazes in Old French, footprints.</html>