Psalms 81

1 To the chief Musician. Upon the Gittith. [A Psalm] of Asaph. Sing ye joyously unto God our strength, shout aloud unto the God of Jacob;

For the choirmaster. According to Gittith. Of Asaph. Sing for joy to God our strength; make a joyful noise to the God of Jacob.

2 Raise a song, and sound the tambour, the pleasant harp with the lute.

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

3 Blow the trumpet at the new moon, at the set time, on our feast day:

Sound the ram’s horn at the New Moon, and at the full moon 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 of the God of Jacob.

5 He ordained it in Joseph [for] a testimony, when he went forth over the land of Egypt, [where] I heard a language that I knew not.

He ordained it as a testimony for Joseph when he went out over the land of Egypt, where I heard an unfamiliar language:

6 I removed his shoulder from the burden; his hands were freed from the basket.

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

7 Thou calledst in trouble, and I delivered thee; I answered thee in the secret place of thunder; I proved thee at the waters of Meribah. (Selah)

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.

8 Hear, my people, and I will testify unto thee; O Israel, if thou wouldest hearken unto me!

Hear, O My people, and I will warn you: O Israel, if only you would listen to Me!

9 There shall no strange god be in thee, neither shalt thou worship any foreign god.

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

10 I am Jehovah thy God, that brought thee up out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.

I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of Egypt. Open wide your mouth, and I will fill it.

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

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

12 So I gave them up unto their own hearts' stubbornness: they walked after their own counsels.

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

13 Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, that Israel had walked in my ways!

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

14 I would soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries.

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

15 The haters of Jehovah would have come cringing unto him; but their time would have been for ever.

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

16 And he would have fed them with the finest of wheat; yea, with honey out of the rock would I have satisfied thee.

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