Psalms 81

1 To the Overseer. — 'On the Gittith.' By Asaph. Cry aloud to God our strength, Shout to the God of Jacob.

To the chief Musician upon Gittith, [A Psalm] of Asaph. Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob.

2 Lift up a song, and give out a timbrel, A pleasant harp with psaltery.

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

3 Blow in the month a trumpet, In the new moon, at the day of our festival,

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

4 For a statute to Israel it [is], An ordinance of the God of Jacob.

For this [was] a statute for Israel, [and] a law 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.

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.

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

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

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)

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)

8 Hear, O My people, and I testify to thee, O Israel, if thou dost hearken to me:

Hear, O my people, and I will testify unto thee: O Israel, if thou wilt hearken unto me;

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

There shall no strange god be in thee; neither shalt thou worship any strange 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 thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.

11 But, My people hearkened not to My voice, And Israel hath not consented to Me.

But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me.

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

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

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

Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, [and] Israel had walked in my ways!

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

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

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

The haters of the LORD should have submitted themselves unto him: but their time should have endured for ever.

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

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