Psalms 81

1 For the chief musician; set to the Gittith style. A psalm of Asaph. Sing aloud to God our strength; shout out for joy 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 Sing a song and play the tambourine, the pleasant lyre with the harp.

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

3 Blow the trumpet on the day of the new moon, on the day of the full moon, when our feast day begins.

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

4 For it is a statute for Israel, a decree given by the God of Jacob.

For this is a statute for Israel, A law of the God of Jacob;

5 He issued it as a regulation in Joseph when he went against the land of Egypt, where I heard a voice that I did not recognize:

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 removed the burden from his shoulder; his hands were freed from holding the basket.

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

7 In your distress you called out, and I helped you; I answered you from a dark thundercloud. I tested you at 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 Listen, my people, for I will warn you, Israel, if you would only listen to me!

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

9 There must be no foreign god among you; you must not worship any foreign god.

Let there be no strange god within thee, Nor worship thou any foreign god!

10 I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will 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 did not listen to my words; Israel did not obey me.

But my people would not listen to my voice, And Israel would not hearken to me.

12 So I gave them over to their own stubborn way so that they might do what seemed right to them.

So I gave them up to the obstinacy of their hearts, And they walked according to their own devices.

13 Oh, that my people would listen to me; oh, that my people would walk in my paths.

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

14 Then I would quickly subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their oppressors.

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

15 May those who hate Yahweh cringe in fear before him! May they be humiliated forever.

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

16 I would feed Israel with the finest wheat; I would satisfy you with honey out of the rock.”

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