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 leader. On the gittith. 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.

Raise a song, sound the timbrel, sweet lyre and harp.

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

On the new moon blow the horn, at the full moon, the day of our festival.

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

For this is a statute for Israel, a ruling 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.

a witness he set up in Joseph, when he marched against Egypt’s land, where he heard an unknown voice say:

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

“I removed from your shoulder the burden, and freed your hands from the basket.

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)

At your call of distress I delivered you, from the thundercloud I answered you. At Meribah’s waters I tested you. (Selah)

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

“Listen, my people, to my warning, O Israel, if you would but listen!

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 bow to no foreign 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 the Lord your God who brought you up out of Egypt. Open your mouth, that I fill it.

11 But My people did not listen to My voice, And Israel has not consented to Me.

“But my people did not listen to my voice, Israel would have none of me.

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

So to their own hard hearts I left them, to follow their own devices.

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

O that my people would listen, that Israel would walk in my ways.

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

Soon would I humble their enemies, and turn my hand on 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 in everlasting terror.

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

But you would I feed with the richest wheat, and with honey from the rock to your heart’s desire.”