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 leader of the music. On the Gittith. A psalm of Asaph.” Sing joyfully to God, our strength! Shout with gladness to the God of Jacob!

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

Raise a song, and strike the timbrel, The sweet-sounding harp, and the psaltery!

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

Blow the trumpet at the new moon; At the full moon, also, on our festal day!

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

For this is a statute for Israel, A law 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 appointed it as a memorial in Joseph, When he went out of the land of Egypt, Where he heard a language which he knew not.

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

“I relieved [[said he]] thy shoulders from their burden; Thy hands were removed from the hod.

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 didst call in trouble, and I delivered thee; In the secret place of thunder I answered thee; I proved thee at the waters of Meribah. (Pause)

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 admonish thee! O Israel! that thou wouldst hearken to me!

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

Let there be no strange god within thee, Nor worship thou any 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 Jehovah am thy God, Who brought thee out of the land of Egypt: Open wide thy 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 my voice, And Israel would not hearken to me.

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

So I gave them up to the obstinacy of their hearts, And they walked according to their own devices.

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

“O that my people had hearkened to me! That Israel had walked in my ways!

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

Soon would I have brought low their enemies, And turned my hand against their adversaries.

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

The haters of Jehovah should have become suppliants to them, And their prosperity should have endured 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.

With the finest of the wheat I would have fed them, And with honey out of the rock would I have satisfied them.”