Psalms 81
1 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.
For the end, a Psalm for Asaph, concerning the wine-presses. Rejoice ye in God our helper; shout aloud to the God of Jacob.
2 Take up the melody, playing on an instrument of music, even on corded instruments.
Take a psalm, and produce the timbrel, the pleasant psaltery with the harp.
3 Let the horn be sounded in the time of the new moon, at the full moon, on our holy feast-day:
Blow the trumpet at the new moon, in the glorious day of your feast.
4 For this is a rule for Israel, and a law of the God of Jacob.
For [this] is an ordinance for Israel, and a statute of the God of Jacob.
5 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.
He made it [to be] a testimony in Joseph, when he came forth out of the land of Egypt: he heard a language which he understood not.
6 I took the weight from his back; his hands were made free from the baskets.
He removed his back from burdens: his hands slaved in making the baskets.
7 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)
Thou didst call upon me in trouble, and I delivered thee; I heard thee in the secret place of the storm: I proved thee at the water of Strife. (Pause)
8 Give ear, O my people, and I will give you my word, O Israel, if you will only do as I say!
Hear, my people, and I will speak to thee, O Israel; and I will testify to thee: if thou wilt hearken to me;
9 There is to be no strange god among you; you are not to give worship to any other god.
there shall be no new god in thee; neither shalt thou worship a strange god.
10 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.
For I am the Lord thy God, that brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.
11 But my people did not give ear to my voice; Israel would have nothing to do with me.
But my people hearkened not to my voice; and Israel gave no heed to me.
12 So I gave them up to the desires of their hearts; that they might go after their evil purposes.
So I let them go after the ways of their own hearts: they will go on in their own ways.
13 If only my people would give ear to me, walking in my ways!
If my people had hearkened to me, if Israel had walked in my ways,
14 I would quickly overcome their haters: my hand would be turned against those who make war on them.
I should have put down their enemies very quickly, and should have laid my hand upon those that afflicted them.
15 The haters of the Lord would be broken, and their destruction would be eternal.
The Lord's enemies [should have] lied to him: but their time shall be for ever.
16 I would give them the best grain for food; you would be full of honey from the rock.
And he fed them with the fat of wheat; and satisfied them with honey out of the rock.
