Psalms 81

1 To the chief Musician upon Gittith, [A Psalm] of Asaph. Sing aloud to God our strength: make a joyful noise 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 Take a psalm, and bring hither the timbrel, the pleasant harp with the psaltery.

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

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

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

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

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

5 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.

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

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

7 Thou calledst in trouble, and I delivered thee; I answered thee in the secret place of thunder: I proved thee 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 Hear, O my people, and I will testify to thee; O Israel, if thou wilt hearken to me;

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

9 There shall no strange god be in thee; neither shalt thou worship any strange god.

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

10 I [am] the LORD thy God who brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy 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 would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would not obey me.

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

12 So I gave them up to their own hearts lust: [and] they walked in their own counsels.

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

13 O that my people had hearkened to me, [and] Israel had walked in my ways!

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

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

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

15 The haters of the LORD should have submitted themselves to him: and their time should have endured for ever.

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

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

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