Psalms 81

1 TO THE OVERSEER. ON THE GITTITH. BY ASAPH. Cry aloud to God our strength, Shout to the God of Jacob.

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

2 Lift up a song, and give out a timbrel, A pleasant harp with stringed instrument.

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

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

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

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

For this was a statute for Israel, and a law 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.

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.

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

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

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)

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)

8 Hear, O My people, and I testify to you, O Israel, if you listen to me:

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

9 There is not in you a strange god, And you do not bow yourself to a strange god.

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

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 Yhwh thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy 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 would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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