Psalms 81
1 Unto the end, for the winepresses, a psalm for Asaph himself. Rejoice to God our helper: sing aloud to 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 Take a psalm, and bring hither the timbrel: the pleasant psaltery with the harp.
Lift up a song, strike the tambourine, play the sweet-sounding harp and lyre.
3 Blow up the trumpet on the new moon, on the noted day of your solemnity.
Sound the ram’s horn at the New Moon, and at the full moon on the day of our Feast.
4 For it is a commandment in Israel, and a judgment to the God of Jacob.
For this is a statute for Israel, an ordinance of the God of Jacob.
5 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.
He ordained it as a testimony for Joseph when he went out over the land of Egypt, where I heard an unfamiliar language:
6 He removed his back from the burdens: his hands had served in baskets.
“I relieved his shoulder of the burden; his hands were freed from the basket.
7 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.
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, O my people, and I will testify to thee: O Israel, if thou wilt hearken to me,
Hear, O My people, and I will warn you: O Israel, if only you would listen to Me!
9 There shall be no new god in thee: neither shalt thou adore a strange god.
There must be no strange god among you, nor shall you bow to a foreign god.
10 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.
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 heard not my voice: and Israel hearkened not to me.
But My people would not listen to Me, and Israel would not obey Me.
12 So I let them go according to the desires of their heart: they shall walk in their own inventions.
So I gave them up to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices.
13 If my people had heard me: if Israel had walked in my ways:
If only My people would listen to Me, if Israel would follow My ways,
14 I should soon have humbled their enemies, and laid my hand on them that troubled them.
how soon I would subdue their enemies and turn My hand against their foes!
15 The enemies of the Lord have lied to him: and their time shall be for ever.
Those who hate the LORD would feign obedience, and their doom would last forever.
16 And he fed them with the fat of wheat, and filled them with honey out of the rock.
But I would feed you the finest wheat; with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”
