Psalms 81

1 To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm of Asaph. Sing aloud to God our strength: make a joyful noise 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 Take a psalm, and strike the timbrel, the pleasant harp with the psaltery.

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

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

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

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

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

5 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.

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

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

7 Thou didst call in trouble, and I delivered thee; I answered thee in the secret place of thunder: I proved thee at 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 testify to thee: O Israel, if thou wilt hearken to me;

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

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

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

10 I am the LORD thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will 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 would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would not obey me.

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

12 So I gave them up to their own hearts’ lust: and they walked 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 O that my people had hearkened to me, and Israel had walked in my ways!

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

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

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 the LORD should have submitted themselves to him: and their time should have endured for ever.

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

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

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