Psalms 81

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

Sing aloud to God our strength. Make a joyful noise to the God of Jacob.

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

Raise a song, and bring here the timbrel, the pleasant harp with the psaltery.

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

Blow the trumpet at the new moon, at the full moon, on our feast-day.

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

For it is a statute for Israel, an ordinance of the God of Jacob.

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

He appointed it in Joseph for a testimony when he went out over the land of Egypt, where I heard a language that I knew not.

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

I removed his shoulder from the burden. His hands were freed from the basket.

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

Thou called in trouble, and I delivered thee. I answered thee in the secret place of thunder. I proved thee at the waters of Meribah. (Selah)

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

Hear, O my people, and I will testify to thee, O Israel, if thou would hearken to me!

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

There shall no strange god be in thee, nor shall thou worship any foreign god.

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

I am Jehovah thy God who brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.

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

But my people hearkened not to my voice, and Israel would none of me.

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

So I let them go after the stubbornness of their heart, that they might walk in their own counsels.

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

O that my people would hearken to me, that Israel would walk in my ways!

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

I would soon subdue their enemies, and turn my hand against their adversaries.

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

(The haters of Jehovah feign obedience to him, but their time is forever.)

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

He would feed them also with the finest of the wheat. And I would satisfy thee with honey out of the rock.