Psalms 81

1 Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob.

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.

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

Start the song! Play the tambourine, sweet-sounding lyre, and harp.

3 Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day.

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

4 For this was a statute for Israel, and a law of the God of Jacob.

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

5 This he ordained in Joseph for a testimony, when he went out through the land of Egypt: where I heard a language that I understood not.

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

6 I removed his shoulder from the burden: his hands were delivered from the pots.

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

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)

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)

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

My people, listen to my warnings! Israel, please listen to me!

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

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

10 I am Yhwh thy God, which 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 out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide and I will fill it.

11 But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me.

But my people didn't listen to me. Israel didn't want anything to do with me.

12 So I gave them up unto their own hearts’ lust: and they walked in their own counsels.

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

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

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

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

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

15 The haters of Yhwh should have submitted themselves unto him: but their time should have endured for ever.

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

16 He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat: and with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee.

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