Psalms 81

1 To the chief Musician upon Gittith, [A Psalm] of Asaph. Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob.

For the chief musician; set to the Gittith style. A psalm of Asaph. Sing aloud to God our strength; shout out for joy to the God of Jacob.

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

Sing a song and play the tambourine, the pleasant lyre with the harp.

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

Blow the trumpet on the day of the new moon, on the day of the full moon, when our feast day begins.

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

For it is a statute for Israel, a decree given by 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 issued it as a regulation in Joseph when he went against the land of Egypt, where I heard a voice that I did not recognize:

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

“I removed the burden from his shoulder; his hands were freed from holding the basket.

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 distress you called out, and I helped you; I answered you from a dark 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;

Listen, my people, for I will warn you, Israel, if you would only listen to me!

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

There must be no foreign god among you; you must not worship any foreign god.

10 I [am] the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.

I am Yahweh 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 did not listen to my words; Israel did not obey me.

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

So I gave them over to their own stubborn way so that they might do what seemed right to them.

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

Oh, that my people would listen to me; oh, that my people would walk in my paths.

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

Then I would quickly subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their oppressors.

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

May those who hate Yahweh cringe in fear before him! May they be humiliated forever.

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.

I would feed Israel with the finest wheat; I would satisfy you with honey out of the rock.”