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;

“For the leader of the music. On the Gittith. A psalm of Asaph.” Sing joyfully to God, our strength! Shout with gladness to the God of Jacob!

2 Raise a melody, and strike the timbrel, The lyre so sweet, with the harp:

Raise a song, and strike the timbrel, The sweet-sounding harp, and the psaltery!

3 Blow, at the new moon, the horn, At the full moon, for the day of our sacred festival:

Blow the trumpet at the new moon; At the full moon, also, on our festal day!

4 For, a statute to Israel, it is, A regulation, by the God of Jacob;

For this is a statute for Israel, 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 appointed it as a memorial in Joseph, When he went out of the land of Egypt, Where he heard a language which he knew not.

6 I took away, from the burden, his shoulder, his hands, from the clay, were set free.

“I relieved [[said he]] thy shoulders from their burden; Thy hands were removed from the hod.

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)

Thou didst call in trouble, and I delivered thee; In the secret place of thunder I answered thee; I proved thee at the waters of Meribah. (Pause)

8 Hear, O my people, and I will adjure thee, O Israel, if thou wilt hearken unto me!

Hear, O my people! and I will admonish thee! O Israel! that thou wouldst hearken to me!

9 There shall not be, within thee, a foreign GOD, —Neither shalt thou bow down to a strange GOD:

Let there be no strange god within thee, Nor worship thou any foreign 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 Jehovah am thy God, Who brought thee out of the land of Egypt: Open wide thy mouth, and I will fill it!

11 But my people, hearkened not, unto my voice, Even, Israel, inclined not unto me.

But my people would not listen to my voice, And Israel would not hearken to 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 obstinacy of their hearts, And they walked according to their own devices.

13 If, my people, were hearkening unto me, [If, ] Israel, in my ways, would walk,

“O that my people had hearkened to me! That Israel had walked in my ways!

14 Right soon, their foes, would I subdue, And, against their adversaries, would I turn my hand:

Soon would I have brought low their enemies, And turned my hand against their adversaries.

15 The haters of Yahweh, should come cringing unto him, Then let their own good time be age-abiding!

The haters of Jehovah should have become suppliants to them, And their prosperity should have endured for ever.

16 Then would he feed them from the marrow of the wheat, Yea, out of the rock—with honey, would I satisfy thee.

With the finest of the wheat I would have fed them, And with honey out of the rock would I have satisfied them.”