Psalms 81

1 Unto the end. For the wine and oil presses. A Psalm of Asaph himself. Exult before God our helper. Sing joyfully to the God of Jacob.

“For the leader of the music. On the Gittith. A psalm of Asaph.” Sing joyfully to God, our strength! Shout with gladness to the God of Jacob!

2 Take up a psalm, and bring forth the timbrel: a pleasing Psalter with stringed instruments.

Raise a song, and strike the timbrel, The sweet-sounding harp, and the psaltery!

3 Sound the trumpet at the new moon, on the noteworthy day of your solemnity,

Blow the trumpet at the new moon; At the full moon, also, on our festal day!

4 for it is a precept in Israel and a judgment for the God of Jacob.

For this is a statute for Israel, A law of the God of Jacob;

5 He set it as a testimony with Joseph, when he went out of the land of Egypt. He heard a tongue that he did not know.

He appointed it as a memorial in Joseph, When he went out of the land of Egypt, Where he heard a language which he knew not.

6 He turned the burdens away from his back. His hands had been a slave to baskets.

“I relieved [[said he]] thy shoulders from their burden; Thy hands were removed from the hod.

7 You called upon me in tribulation, and I freed you. I heard you within the hidden tempest. I tested you with waters of contradiction.

Thou didst call in trouble, and I delivered thee; In the secret place of thunder I answered thee; I proved thee at the waters of Meribah. (Pause)

8 My people, listen and I will call you to testify. If, O Israel, you will pay heed to me,

Hear, O my people! and I will admonish thee! O Israel! that thou wouldst hearken to me!

9 then there will be no new god among you, nor will you adore a foreign god.

Let there be no strange god within thee, Nor worship thou any foreign god!

10 For I am the Lord your God, who led you out of the land of Egypt. Widen your mouth, and I will fill it.

I Jehovah am thy God, Who brought thee out of the land of Egypt: Open wide thy mouth, and I will fill it!

11 But my people did not hear my voice, and Israel was not attentive to me.

But my people would not listen to my voice, And Israel would not hearken to me.

12 And so, I sent them away, according to the desires of their heart. They will go forth according to their own inventions.

So I gave them up to the obstinacy of their hearts, And they walked according to their own devices.

13 If my people had heard me, if Israel had walked in my ways,

“O that my people had hearkened to me! That Israel had walked in my ways!

14 I would have humbled their enemies, as if it were nothing, and I would have sent my hand upon those who troubled them.

Soon would I have brought low their enemies, And turned my hand against their adversaries.

15 The enemies of the Lord have lied to him, and their time will come, in every age.

The haters of Jehovah should have become suppliants to them, And their prosperity should have endured for ever.

16 And he fed them from the fat of the grain, and he saturated them with honey from the rock.

With the finest of the wheat I would have fed them, And with honey out of the rock would I have satisfied them.”