Psalms 81
1 To the Chief Musician. On "the Gittith." Asaph’s. Shout ye for joy, unto God our strength, Sound the note of triumph, to the God of Jacob;
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.
2 Raise a melody, and strike the timbrel, The lyre so sweet, with the harp:
Take up a psalm, and bring forth the timbrel: a pleasing Psalter with stringed instruments.
3 Blow, at the new moon, the horn, At the full moon, for the day of our sacred festival:
Sound the trumpet at the new moon, on the noteworthy day of your solemnity,
4 For, a statute to Israel, it is, A regulation, by the God of Jacob;
for it is a precept in Israel and a judgment for the God of Jacob.
5 A testimony in Joseph, he appointed it, When he went forth over the land of Egypt: A language I liked not, used I to hear;
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.
6 I took away, from the burden, his shoulder, his hands, from the clay, were set free.
He turned the burdens away from his back. His hands had been a slave to baskets.
7 In distress, thou didst cry, and I delivered thee, —I answered thee, within a hiding-place of thunder, I proved thee by the waters of Meribah. (Selah)
You called upon me in tribulation, and I freed you. I heard you within the hidden tempest. I tested you with waters of contradiction.
8 Hear, O my people, and I will adjure thee, O Israel, if thou wilt hearken unto me!
My people, listen and I will call you to testify. If, O Israel, you will pay heed to me,
9 There shall not be, within thee, a foreign GOD, —Neither shalt thou bow down to a strange GOD:
then there will be no new god among you, nor will you adore a foreign god.
10 I, Yahweh, am thy God, Who brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, —Open wide thy mouth, that I may fill it.
For I am the Lord your God, who led you out of the land of Egypt. Widen your mouth, and I will fill it.
11 But my people, hearkened not, unto my voice, Even, Israel, inclined not unto me.
But my people did not hear my voice, and Israel was not attentive to me.
12 So then I let them go on in the stubbornness of their own heart, They might walk in their own counsels!
And so, I sent them away, according to the desires of their heart. They will go forth according to their own inventions.
13 If, my people, were hearkening unto me, [If, ] Israel, in my ways, would walk,
If my people had heard me, if Israel had walked in my ways,
14 Right soon, their foes, would I subdue, And, against their adversaries, would I turn my hand:
I would have humbled their enemies, as if it were nothing, and I would have sent my hand upon those who troubled them.
15 The haters of Yahweh, should come cringing unto him, Then let their own good time be age-abiding!
The enemies of the Lord have lied to him, and their time will come, in every age.
16 Then would he feed them from the marrow of the wheat, Yea, out of the rock—with honey, would I satisfy thee.
And he fed them from the fat of the grain, and he saturated them with honey from the rock.
