Psalms 81

1 To the Overseer. — 'On the Gittith.' By Asaph. Cry aloud to God our strength, Shout 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 Lift up a song, and give out a timbrel, A pleasant harp with psaltery.

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

3 Blow in the month a trumpet, In the new moon, at the day of our 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], An ordinance of the God of Jacob.

For this is a statute for Israel, a ruling of the God of Jacob,

5 A testimony on Joseph He hath placed it, In his going forth over the land of Egypt. A lip, I have not known — I hear.

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

6 From the burden his shoulder I turned aside, His hands from the basket pass over.

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

7 In distress thou hast called and I deliver thee, I answer thee in the secret place of thunder, I try 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 testify to thee, O Israel, if thou dost hearken to me:

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

9 There is not in thee a strange god, And thou bowest not thyself to a strange god.

There must not be a strange god among you, you must bow to no foreign god.

10 I [am] Jehovah thy God, Who bringeth thee up out of the land of Egypt. Enlarge thy mouth, and I 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 to My voice, And Israel hath not consented to Me.

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

12 And I send them away in the enmity of their heart, They walk in their own counsels.

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

13 O that My people were hearkening to Me, Israel in My ways would walk.

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

14 As a little thing their enemies I cause to bow, And against their adversaries I turn back My hand,

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

15 Those hating Jehovah feign obedience to Him, But their time is — to the age.

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

16 He causeth him to eat of the fat of wheat, And [with] honey from a rock I satisfy thee!

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