Psalms 81

1 “To the chief musician upon Gittith; by Assaph.” Sing aloud unto God our strength: shout joyfully 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 Lift up 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 on the new moon the cornet, at the time appointed, on the day of our feast.

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 is a statute for Israel, an ordinance by the God of Jacob.

For it is a statute for Israel, a decree given by the God of Jacob.

5 As a testimony in Joseph did he ordain it, when he went out over the land of Egypt. The language of one I had not known did I hear.

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 from the burden his shoulder: his hands left behind the burden-basket.

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

7 In distress thou didst call, and I delivered thee; I answered thee in the secret of the 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 give warning unto thee; O Israel, if thou wouldst but hearken unto me!

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

9 There shall not be among thee a foreign God; nor shalt thou bow thyself down to 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, who have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt: open wide thy mouth, 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 did not hearken to my voice; and Israel was not willing [to follow] me.

But my people did not listen to my words; Israel did not obey me.

12 So I let them go in the stubbornness of their own hearts: 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 would hearken unto me, that Israel would walk in my ways!

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

14 In a little while would I subdue their enemies, and against their adversaries would I turn my hand.

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

15 The haters of the Lord should offer flattery unto him; but their time should endure for ever.

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

16 And he would feed him with the best of wheat: and out of the rock would I satisfy thee with honey.

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