Psalms 81

1 Unto the end. For the wine and oil presses. A Psalm of Asaph himself. Exult before God our helper. Sing joyfully to the God of Jacob.

To him that excelleth upon Gittith. A Psalme committed to Asaph. Sing ioyfully vnto God our strength: sing loude vnto the God of Iaakob.

2 Take up a psalm, and bring forth the timbrel: a pleasing Psalter with stringed instruments.

Take the song and bring forth the timbrel, the pleasant harpe with the viole.

3 Sound the trumpet at the new moon, on the noteworthy day of your solemnity,

Blowe the trumpet in the newe moone, euen in the time appointed, at our feast day.

4 for it is a precept in Israel and a judgment for the God of Jacob.

For this is a statute for Israel, and a Law of the God of Iaakob.

5 He set it as a testimony with Joseph, when he went out of the land of Egypt. He heard a tongue that he did not know.

Hee set this in Ioseph for a testimonie, when hee came out of the land of Egypt, where I heard a language, that I vnderstoode not.

6 He turned the burdens away from his back. His hands had been a slave to baskets.

I haue withdrawen his shoulder from the burden, and his handes haue left the pots.

7 You called upon me in tribulation, and I freed you. I heard you within the hidden tempest. I tested you with waters of contradiction.

Thou calledst in affliction and I deliuered thee, and answered thee in the secret of the thunder: I prooued thee at the waters of Meribah. (Selah)

8 My people, listen and I will call you to testify. If, O Israel, you will pay heed to me,

Heare, O my people, and I wil protest vnto thee: O Israel, if thou wilt hearken vnto me,

9 then there will be no new god among you, nor will you adore a foreign god.

Let there bee no strange god in thee, neither worship thou any strange god.

10 For I am the Lord your God, who led you out of the land of Egypt. Widen your mouth, and I will fill it.

For I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide and I will fill it.

11 But my people did not hear my voice, and Israel was not attentive to me.

But my people would not heare my voyce, and Israel would none of me.

12 And so, I sent them away, according to the desires of their heart. They will go forth according to their own inventions.

So I gaue them vp vnto the hardnesse of their heart, and they haue walked in their owne cousels.

13 If my people had heard me, if Israel had walked in my ways,

Oh that my people had hearkened vnto me, and Israel had walked in my wayes.

14 I would have humbled their enemies, as if it were nothing, and I would have sent my hand upon those who troubled them.

I would soone haue humbled their enemies, and turned mine hand against their aduersaries.

15 The enemies of the Lord have lied to him, and their time will come, in every age.

The haters of the Lord should haue bene subiect vnto him, and their time should haue endured for euer.

16 And he fed them from the fat of the grain, and he saturated them with honey from the rock.

And God would haue fedde them with the fatte of wheat, and with honie out of the rocke would I haue sufficed thee.