Psalms 81

1 For the music director. On the gittith. A psalm of Asaph. Sing aloud to God our strength; shout for joy 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 Start the song! Play the tambourine, sweet-sounding lyre, and harp.

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

3 Blow the trumpet at the new moon, and at full moon, to begin our festivals,

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

4 for this is a rule for Israel, a regulation of the God of Jacob.

For this is a statute for Israel, A law of the God of Jacob;

5 God made this statute for Joseph when he opposed the land of Egypt. I heard a voice I didn't know, saying:

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 took the load from your shoulders; I freed your hands from carrying heavy baskets.

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

7 In your suffering you cried out to me, and I saved you. I answered you from the thundercloud. I tested you 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 My people, listen to my warnings! Israel, please listen to me!

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

9 There must not be a strange god among you; you must never bow down to foreign gods and worship them.

Let there be no strange god within thee, Nor worship thou any foreign god!

10 I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt. Open your 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 didn't listen to me. Israel didn't want anything to do with me.

But my people would not listen to my voice, And Israel would not hearken to me.

12 So I sent them away to follow their stubborn thinking, living as they chose.

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

13 If only my people would listen to me; if only Israel would follow my ways!

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

14 It wouldn't take me long to conquer their enemies, to strike down their foes.

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

15 Those who hate the Lord would cringe before him, forever doomed.

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

16 But I would feed you the best wheat and satisfy you with honey from 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.”