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 musician upon Gittith; by Assaph.” Sing aloud unto God our strength: shout joyfully unto the God of Jacob.

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

Lift up psalm, and bring hither the timbrel, the pleasant harp with the psaltery.

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

Blow on the new moon the cornet, at the time appointed, on the day of our feast.

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

For this is a statute for Israel, an ordinance by 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:

As a testimony in Joseph did he ordain it, when he went out over the land of Egypt. The language of one I had not known did I hear.

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

I removed from the burden his shoulder: his hands left behind the burden-basket.

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.

In distress thou didst call, and I delivered thee; I answered thee in the secret of the thunder: I proved thee 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!

Hear, O my people, and I will give warning unto thee; O Israel, if thou wouldst but hearken unto me!

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

There shall not be among thee a foreign God; nor shalt thou bow thyself down to any strange 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 thy God, who have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt: open wide thy mouth, and I will fill it.

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

But my people did not hearken to my voice; and Israel was not willing [to follow] me.

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

So I let them go in the stubbornness of their own hearts: and they walked in their own counsels.

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

Oh that my people would hearken unto me, that Israel would walk in my ways!

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

In a little while would I subdue their enemies, and against their adversaries would I turn my hand.

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

The haters of the Lord should offer flattery unto him; but their time should endure for ever.

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

And he would feed him with the best of wheat: and out of the rock would I satisfy thee with honey.