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

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

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

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

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

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

For this is a statute for Israel, a ruling 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;

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

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

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

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)

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 will adjure thee, O Israel, if thou wilt hearken unto me!

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

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

There must not be a strange god among you, you must bow to no 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 am the Lord your God who brought you up out of Egypt. Open your mouth, that I fill it.

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

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

12 So then I let them go on in the stubbornness of their own heart, They might walk in their own counsels!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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