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 end, a Psalm for Asaph, concerning the wine presses. Rejoice you in God our helper; shout aloud to the God of Jacob.

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

Take a psalm, and produce the timbrel, the pleasant lute with the harp.

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

Blow the trumpet at the new moon, in the glorious day of your feast.

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

For [this] is an ordinance for Israel, and a statute 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 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 removed his shoulder from the burden; his hands were freed from the basket.

He removed his back from burdens: his hands slaved in making the baskets.

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 did call upon me in trouble, and I delivered you; I heard you in the secret place of the storm: I proved you at the water of Strife. (Pause)

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

Hear, my people, and I will speak to you, O Israel; and I will testify to you: if you will listen to me;

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

there shall be no new god in you; neither shall you worship a strange 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.

For I am the Lord your God, that brought you out of the land of Egypt: open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.

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

But my people listened not to my voice; and Israel gave no heed to me.

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

So I let them go after the ways of their own hearts: they will go on in their own ways.

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

If my people had listened to me, if Israel had walked in my ways,

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

I should have put down their enemies very quickly, and should have laid my hand upon those that afflicted them.

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

The Lord's enemies [should have] lied to him: but their time shall be for ever.

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

And he fed them with the fat of wheat; and satisfied them with honey out of the rock.