< Psalms 81 >
1 Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob.
Unto the end, for the winepresses, a psalm for Asaph himself. Rejoice to God our helper: sing aloud to the God of Jacob.
2 Take a psalm, and bring here the timbrel, the pleasant harp with the psaltery.
Take a psalm, and bring hither the timbrel: the pleasant psaltery with the harp.
3 Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day.
Blow up the trumpet on the new moon, on the noted day of your solemnity.
4 For this was a statute for Israel, and a law of the God of Jacob.
For it is a commandment in Israel, and a judgment to 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.
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.
6 I removed his shoulder from the burden: his hands were delivered from the pots.
He removed his back from the burdens: his hands had served in baskets.
7 You called in trouble, and I delivered you; I answered you in the secret place of thunder: I proved you at the waters of Meribah. (Selah)
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.
8 Hear, O my people, and I will testify unto you: O Israel, if you will hearken unto me;
Hear, O my people, and I will testify to thee: O Israel, if thou wilt hearken to me,
9 There shall no strange god be in you; neither shall you worship any strange god.
There shall be no new god in thee: neither shalt thou adore a strange god.
10 I am the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt: open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.
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.
11 But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel refused me.
But my people heard not my voice: and Israel hearkened not to me.
12 So I gave them up unto their own hearts' lust: and they walked in their own counsels.
So I let them go according to the desires of their heart: they shall walk in their own inventions.
13 Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways!
If my people had heard me: if Israel had walked in my ways:
14 I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries.
I should soon have humbled their enemies, and laid my hand on them that troubled them.
15 The haters of the LORD should have submitted themselves unto him: but their time should have endured for ever.
The enemies of the Lord have lied to him: and their time shall be for ever.
16 He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat: and with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied you.
And he fed them with the fat of wheat, and filled them with honey out of the rock.