תְהִלִּים 81

1 לַמְנַצֵּ֬חַ ׀ עַֽל־הַגִּתִּ֬ית לְאָסָֽף׃ הַ֭רְנִינוּ לֵאלֹהִ֣ים עוּזֵּ֑נוּ הָ֝רִ֗יעוּ לֵאלֹהֵ֥י יַעֲקֹֽב׃

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

2 שְֽׂאוּ־זִ֭מְרָה וּתְנוּ־תֹ֑ף כִּנֹּ֖ור נָעִ֣ים עִם־נָֽבֶל׃

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

3 תִּקְע֣וּ בַחֹ֣דֶשׁ שֹׁופָ֑ר בַּ֝כֵּ֗סֶה לְיֹ֣ום חַגֵּֽנוּ׃

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

4 כִּ֤י חֹ֣ק לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל ה֑וּא מִ֝שְׁפָּ֗ט לֵאלֹהֵ֥י יַעֲקֹֽב׃

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

5 עֵ֤דוּת ׀ בִּֽיהֹ֘וסֵ֤ף שָׂמֹ֗ו בְּ֭צֵאתֹו עַל־אֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם שְׂפַ֖ת לֹא־יָדַ֣עְתִּי אֶשְׁמָֽע׃

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

6 הֲסִירֹ֣ותִי מִסֵּ֣בֶל שִׁכְמֹ֑ו כַּ֝פָּ֗יו מִדּ֥וּד תַּעֲבֹֽרְנָה׃

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

7 בַּצָּרָ֥ה קָרָ֗אתָ וָאֲחַ֫לְּצֶ֥ךָּ אֶ֭עֶנְךָ בְּסֵ֣תֶר רַ֑עַם אֶבְחָֽנְךָ֨ עַל־מֵ֖י מְרִיבָ֣ה סֶֽלָה׃

At your call of distress I delivered you, from the thundercloud I answered you. At Meribah’s waters I tested you. (Selah)

8 שְׁמַ֣ע עַ֭מִּי וְאָעִ֣ידָה בָּ֑ךְ יִ֝שְׂרָאֵ֗ל אִם־תִּֽשְׁמַֽע־לִֽי׃

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

9 לֹֽא־יִהְיֶ֣ה בְ֭ךָ אֵ֣ל זָ֑ר וְלֹ֥א תִ֝שְׁתַּחֲוֶ֗ה לְאֵ֣ל נֵכָֽר׃

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

10 אָנֹכִ֨י ׀ יְה֘וָ֤ה אֱלֹהֶ֗יךָ הַֽ֭מַּעַלְךָ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם הַרְחֶב־פִּ֝֗יךָ וַאֲמַלְאֵֽהוּ׃

I am the Lord your God who brought you up out of Egypt. Open your mouth, that I fill it.

11 וְלֹא־שָׁמַ֣ע עַמִּ֣י לְקֹולִ֑י וְ֝יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל לֹא־אָ֥בָה לִֽי׃

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

12 וָֽ֭אֲשַׁלְּחֵהוּ בִּשְׁרִיר֣וּת לִבָּ֑ם יֵ֝לְכ֗וּ בְּֽמֹועֲצֹותֵיהֶֽם׃

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

13 ל֗וּ עַ֭מִּי שֹׁמֵ֣עַֽ לִ֑י יִ֝שְׂרָאֵ֗ל בִּדְרָכַ֥י יְהַלֵּֽכוּ׃

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

14 כִּ֭מְעַט אֹויְבֵיהֶ֣ם אַכְנִ֑יעַ וְעַ֥ל צָ֝רֵיהֶ֗ם אָשִׁ֥יב יָדִֽי׃

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

15 מְשַׂנְאֵ֣י יְ֭הוָה יְכַֽחֲשׁוּ־לֹ֑ו וִיהִ֖י עִתָּ֣ם לְעֹולָֽם׃

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

16 וֽ͏ַ֭יַּאֲכִילֵהוּ מֵחֵ֣לֶב חִטָּ֑ה וּ֝מִצּ֗וּר דְּבַ֣שׁ אַשְׂבִּיעֶֽךָ׃

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