Psalms 81

1 TO THE OVERSEER. ON THE GITTITH. BY ASAPH. Cry aloud to God our strength, Shout to 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 Lift up a song, and give out a timbrel, A pleasant harp with stringed instrument.

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

3 Blow a horn in the month, In the new moon, at the day of our festival,

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

4 For it [is] a statute to Israel, An ordinance of the God of Jacob.

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

5 He has placed it—a testimony on Joseph, In his going forth over the land of Egypt. A lip, I have not known—I hear.

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

6 I turned aside his shoulder from the burden, His hands pass over from the basket.

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

7 In distress you have called and I deliver you, I answer you in the secret place of thunder, I try you by 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 testify to you, O Israel, if you listen to me:

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

9 There is not in you a strange god, And you do not bow yourself to a 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] your God YHWH, Who brings you up out of the land of Egypt. Enlarge your mouth, and I 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 did not listen to My voice, And Israel has not consented to Me.

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

12 And I send them away in the enmity of their heart, They walk in their own counsels.

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

13 O that My people were listening to Me, Israel would walk in My ways.

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

14 As a little thing I cause their enemies to bow, And I turn back My hand against their adversaries,

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

15 Those hating YHWH should have feigned [obedience] to Him, And their time would last for all time.

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

16 He causes him to eat of the fat of wheat, And I satisfy you [with] honey from a rock!

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