Psalms 81

1 For the choirmaster. According to Gittith. Of Asaph. Sing for joy to God our strength; make a joyful noise to the God of Jacob.

To the chief music-maker; put to the Gittith. Of Asaph. Make a song to God our strength: make a glad cry to the God of Jacob.

2 Lift up a song, strike the tambourine, play the sweet-sounding harp and lyre.

Take up the melody, playing on an instrument of music, even on corded instruments.

3 Sound the ram’s horn at the New Moon, and at the full moon on the day of our Feast.

Let the horn be sounded in the time of the new moon, at the full moon, on our holy feast-day:

4 For this is a statute for Israel, an ordinance of the God of Jacob.

For this is a rule for Israel, and a law of the God of Jacob.

5 He ordained it as a testimony for Joseph when he went out over the land of Egypt, where I heard an unfamiliar language:

He gave it to Joseph as a witness, when he went out over the land of Egypt; then the words of a strange tongue were sounding in my ears.

6 “I relieved his shoulder of the burden; his hands were freed from the basket.

I took the weight from his back; his hands were made free from the baskets.

7 You called out in distress, and I rescued you; I answered you from the cloud of thunder; I tested you at the waters of Meribah.

You gave a cry in your trouble, and I made you free; I gave you an answer in the secret place of the thunder; I put you to the test at the waters of Meribah. (Selah)

8 Hear, O My people, and I will warn you: O Israel, if only you would listen to Me!

Give ear, O my people, and I will give you my word, O Israel, if you will only do as I say!

9 There must be no strange god among you, nor shall you bow to a foreign god.

There is to be no strange god among you; you are not to give worship to any other god.

10 I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of Egypt. Open wide your mouth, and I will fill it.

I am the Lord your God, who took you up from the land of Egypt: let your mouth be open wide, so that I may give you food.

11 But My people would not listen to Me, and Israel would not obey Me.

But my people did not give ear to my voice; Israel would have nothing to do with me.

12 So I gave them up to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices.

So I gave them up to the desires of their hearts; that they might go after their evil purposes.

13 If only My people would listen to Me, if Israel would follow My ways,

If only my people would give ear to me, walking in my ways!

14 how soon I would subdue their enemies and turn My hand against their foes!

I would quickly overcome their haters: my hand would be turned against those who make war on them.

15 Those who hate the LORD would feign obedience, and their doom would last forever.

The haters of the Lord would be broken, and their destruction would be eternal.

16 But I would feed you the finest wheat; with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”

I would give them the best grain for food; you would be full of honey from the rock.