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. On the gittith. Of Asaph. Sing aloud to God our strength, shout for joy to the God of Jacob.

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

Raise a song, sound the timbrel, sweet lyre and harp.

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

On the new moon blow the horn, at the full moon, the day of our festival.

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

For this is a statute for Israel, a ruling 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.

a witness he set up in Joseph, when he marched against Egypt’s land, where he heard an unknown voice say:

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

‘I removed from your shoulder the burden, and freed your hands 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)

At your call of distress I delivered you, from the thundercloud I answered you. At Meribah’s waters I tested you. (Selah)

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

‘Listen, my people, to my warning, O Israel, if you would but listen!

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

There must not be a strange god among you, you must bow to no 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 your mouth, that I fill it.

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

‘But my people did not listen to my voice, Israel would have none of me.

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

So to their own hard hearts I left them, to follow their own devices.

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

O that my people would listen, that Israel would walk in my ways.

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

Soon would I humble their enemies, and turn my hand on 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 cringe before him in everlasting terror.

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 you would I feed with the richest wheat, and with honey from the rock to your heart’s desire.’