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.

For the Chief Musician; set to the Gittith. A Psalm of Asaph. Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob.

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

Take up the 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 up the trumpet in the new moon, at the full moon, on our solemn feast day.

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

For it is a statute for Israel, an ordinance 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 appointed it in Joseph for testimony, when he went out over the land of Egypt: [where] I heard a language that I knew not.

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

I removed his shoulder from the burden: his hands were freed from the 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.

Thou calledst in trouble, and I answered thee in the secret place of 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 testify unto thee: O Israel, if thou wouldest hearken unto me!

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

There shall no strange god be in thee; neither shalt thou worship 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, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.

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

But my people hearkened not to my voice; and Israel would none of me.

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

So I let them go after the stubbornness of their heart, that they might walk 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!

I should soon subdue their enemies, and turn my hand against their adversaries.

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

The haters of the LORD should submit themselves 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.”

He should feed them also with the finest of the wheat: and with honey out of the rock should I satisfy thee.