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

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

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

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

4 For it is a commandment in Israel, and a judgment to the God of Jacob.

For this is a statute for Israel, A law 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 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 He removed his back from the burdens: his hands had served in baskets.

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

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.

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, O my people, and I will testify to thee: O Israel, if thou wilt hearken to me,

Hear, O my people! and I will admonish thee! O Israel! that thou wouldst hearken to me!

9 There shall be no new god in thee: neither shalt thou adore a strange god.

Let there be no strange god within thee, Nor worship thou any 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 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 heard not my voice: and Israel hearkened not to me.

But my people would not listen to my voice, And Israel would not hearken to 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 the obstinacy of their hearts, And they walked according to their own devices.

13 If my people had heard me: if Israel had walked in my ways:

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

14 I should soon have humbled their enemies, and laid my hand on them that troubled them.

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

15 The enemies of the Lord have lied to him: and their time shall be for ever.

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

16 And he fed them with the fat of wheat, and filled them with honey out of the rock.

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