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. On "the Gittith." Asaph’s. Shout ye for joy, unto God our strength, Sound the note of triumph, to the God of Jacob;

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

Raise a melody, and strike the timbrel, The lyre so sweet, with the harp:

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

Blow, at the new moon, the horn, At the full moon, for the day of our sacred festival:

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

For, a statute to Israel, it is, A regulation, 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:

A testimony in Joseph, he appointed it, When he went forth over the land of Egypt: A language I liked not, used I to hear;

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

I took away, from the burden, his shoulder, his hands, from the clay, were set free.

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 cry, and I delivered thee, —I answered thee, within a hiding-place of thunder, I proved thee by 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 adjure thee, O Israel, if thou wilt hearken unto me!

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

There shall not be, within thee, a foreign GOD, —Neither shalt thou bow down to a 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, Yahweh, am thy God, Who brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, —Open wide thy mouth, that I may fill it.

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

But my people, hearkened not, unto my voice, Even, Israel, inclined not unto me.

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

So then I let them go on in the stubbornness of their own heart, They might walk in their own counsels!

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

If, my people, were hearkening unto me, [If, ] Israel, in my ways, would walk,

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

Right soon, their foes, would I subdue, 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 Yahweh, should come cringing unto him, Then let their own good time be age-abiding!

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

Then would he feed them from the marrow of the wheat, Yea, out of the rock—with honey, would I satisfy thee.