Psalms 81
1 To the Chief Musician. On "the Gittith." Asaph’s. Shout ye for joy, unto God our strength, Sound the note of triumph, to the God of Jacob;
To the chief music-maker; put to the Gittith. Of Asaph. Make a song to God our strength: make a glad cry to the God of Jacob.
2 Raise a melody, and strike the timbrel, The lyre so sweet, with the harp:
Take up the melody, playing on an instrument of music, even on corded instruments.
3 Blow, at the new moon, the horn, At the full moon, for the day of our sacred festival:
Let the horn be sounded in the time of the new moon, at the full moon, on our holy feast-day:
4 For, a statute to Israel, it is, A regulation, by the God of Jacob;
For this is a rule for Israel, and a law of the God of Jacob.
5 A testimony in Joseph, he appointed it, When he went forth over the land of Egypt: A language I liked not, used I to hear;
He gave it to Joseph as a witness, when he went out over the land of Egypt; then the words of a strange tongue were sounding in my ears.
6 I took away, from the burden, his shoulder, his hands, from the clay, were set free.
I took the weight from his back; his hands were made free from the baskets.
7 In distress, thou didst cry, and I delivered thee, —I answered thee, within a hiding-place of thunder, I proved thee by the waters of Meribah. (Selah)
You gave a cry in your trouble, and I made you free; I gave you an answer in the secret place of the thunder; I put you to the test at the waters of Meribah. (Selah)
8 Hear, O my people, and I will adjure thee, O Israel, if thou wilt hearken unto me!
Give ear, O my people, and I will give you my word, O Israel, if you will only do as I say!
9 There shall not be, within thee, a foreign GOD, —Neither shalt thou bow down to a strange GOD:
There is to be no strange god among you; you are not to give worship to any other god.
10 I, Yahweh, am thy God, Who brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, —Open wide thy mouth, that I may fill it.
I am the Lord your God, who took you up from the land of Egypt: let your mouth be open wide, so that I may give you food.
11 But my people, hearkened not, unto my voice, Even, Israel, inclined not unto me.
But my people did not give ear to my voice; Israel would have nothing to do with me.
12 So then I let them go on in the stubbornness of their own heart, They might walk in their own counsels!
So I gave them up to the desires of their hearts; that they might go after their evil purposes.
13 If, my people, were hearkening unto me, [If, ] Israel, in my ways, would walk,
If only my people would give ear to me, walking in my ways!
14 Right soon, their foes, would I subdue, And, against their adversaries, would I turn my hand:
I would quickly overcome their haters: my hand would be turned against those who make war on them.
15 The haters of Yahweh, should come cringing unto him, Then let their own good time be age-abiding!
The haters of the Lord would be broken, and their destruction would be eternal.
16 Then would he feed them from the marrow of the wheat, Yea, out of the rock—with honey, would I satisfy thee.
I would give them the best grain for food; you would be full of honey from the rock.
