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;

Unto the end, for the winepresses, a psalm for Asaph himself. Rejoice to God our helper: sing aloud to the God of Jacob.

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

Take a psalm, and bring hither the timbrel: the pleasant psaltery with the harp.

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

Blow up the trumpet on the new moon, on the noted day of your solemnity.

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

For it is a commandment in Israel, and a judgment to 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 for a testimony in Joseph, when he came out of the land of Egypt: he heard a tongue which he knew not.

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

He removed his back from the burdens: his hands had served in 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)

Thou calledst upon me in affliction, and I delivered thee: I heard thee in the secret place of tempest: I proved thee at the waters of contradiction.

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 testify to thee: O Israel, if thou wilt hearken 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 thee: neither shalt thou adore 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 thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy 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 heard not my voice: and Israel hearkened not to me.

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

So I let them go according to the desires of their heart: they shall walk in their own inventions.

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

If my people had heard 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 soon have humbled their enemies, and laid my hand on them that troubled them.

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

The enemies of the Lord have lied to him: and 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 filled them with honey out of the rock.