Psalms 81

1 For the leader. On the gittith. Of Asaph. Sing aloud to God our strength, shout for joy to the God of Jacob.

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

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

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

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

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

4 For this is a statute for Israel, a ruling of the God of Jacob,

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

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

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

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

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

You called in trouble, and I delivered you; I answered you in the secret place of thunder: I proved you at the waters of Meribah. (Selah)

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

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

9 There must not be a strange god among you, you must bow to no foreign god.

There shall no strange god be in you; neither shall you worship any strange god.

10 I am the Lord your God who brought you up out of Egypt. Open your mouth, that I fill it.

I am the LORD your God, which 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, Israel would have none of me.

But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel refused me.

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

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

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

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

14 Soon would I humble their enemies, and turn my hand on their foes.

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

15 Those who hate the Lord would cringe before him in everlasting terror.

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

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

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