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

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

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

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

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

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

For this is a statute for Israel, a ruling 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.

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

6 He removed his back from the burdens: his hands had served in baskets.

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

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

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

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

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

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

11 But my people heard not my voice: and Israel hearkened not to me.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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