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

2 Take a psalm, and bring hither the timbrel, the pleasant harp with the psaltery.

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

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

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

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

For this is a statute for Israel, a ruling 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.

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

6 I removed his shoulder from the burden: his hands were delivered from the pots.

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

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)

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 testify to thee; O Israel, if thou wilt hearken to me;

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

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

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

11 But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would not obey me.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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