Psalms 81

1 For the chief musician; set to the Gittith style. A psalm of Asaph. Sing aloud to God our strength; shout out for joy 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 Sing a song and play the tambourine, the pleasant lyre with the harp.

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

3 Blow the trumpet on the day of the new moon, on the day of the full moon, when our feast day begins.

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

4 For it is a statute for Israel, a decree given by the God of Jacob.

For this [was] a statute for Israel, [and] a law of the God of Jacob.

5 He issued it as a regulation in Joseph when he went against the land of Egypt, where I heard a voice that I did not recognize:

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 “I removed the burden from his shoulder; his hands were freed from holding the basket.

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

7 In your distress you called out, and I helped you; I answered you from a dark thundercloud. I tested you at 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 Listen, my people, for I will warn you, Israel, if you would only listen to me!

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

9 There must be no foreign god among you; you must not worship any foreign god.

There shall no strange god be in thee; neither shalt thou worship any strange god.

10 I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will 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 did not listen to my words; Israel did not obey me.

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

12 So I gave them over to their own stubborn way so that they might do what seemed right to them.

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

13 Oh, that my people would listen to me; oh, that my people would walk in my paths.

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

14 Then I would quickly subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their oppressors.

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

15 May those who hate Yahweh cringe in fear before him! May they be humiliated forever.

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

16 I would feed Israel with the finest wheat; I would satisfy you with honey out of the rock.”

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