Psalms 81

¹Make a song to God our strength: make a glad cry to the God of Jacob.

²Take up the melody, playing on an instrument of music, even on corded instruments.

³Let the horn be sounded in the time of the new moon, at the full moon, on our holy feast-day:

⁴For this is a rule for Israel, and a law of the God of Jacob.

⁵He gave it to Joseph as a witness, when he went out over the land of Egypt; then the words of a strange tongue were sounding in my ears.

⁶I took the weight from his back; his hands were made free from the baskets.

⁷You gave a cry in your trouble, and I made you free; I gave you an answer in the secret place of the thunder; I put you to the test at the waters of Meribah. (Selah.)

⁸Give ear, O my people, and I will give you my word, O Israel, if you will only do as I say!

⁹There is to be no strange god among you; you are not to give worship to any other god.

¹⁰I am the Lord your God, who took you up from the land of Egypt: let your mouth be open wide, so that I may give you food.

¹¹But my people did not give ear to my voice; Israel would have nothing to do with me.

¹²So I gave them up to the desires of their hearts; that they might go after their evil purposes.

¹³If only my people would give ear to me, walking in my ways!

¹⁴I would quickly overcome their haters: my hand would be turned against those who make war on them.

¹⁵The haters of the Lord would be broken, and their destruction would be eternal.

¹⁶I would give them the best grain for food; you would be full of honey from the rock.

Psalms 81

¹Sing aloud to God, our strength! Make a joyful shout to the God of Jacob!

²Raise a song, and bring here the tambourine, the pleasant lyre with the harp.

³Blow the trumpet at the New Moon, at the full moon, on our feast day.

⁴For it is a statute for Israel, an ordinance of the God of Jacob.

⁵He appointed it in Joseph for a testimony, when he went out over the land of Egypt, I heard a language that I did not know.

⁶"I removed his shoulder from the burden. His hands were freed from the basket.

⁷You called in trouble, and I delivered you. I answered you in the secret place of thunder. I tested you at the waters of Meribah." Selah.

⁸"Hear, my people, and I will testify to you, Israel, if you would listen to me!

⁹There shall be no strange god in you, neither shall you worship any foreign god.

¹⁰I am the Lord, your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.

¹¹But my people did not listen to my voice. Israel desired none of me.

¹²So I let them go after the stubbornness of their hearts, that they might walk in their own counsels.

¹³Oh that my people would listen to me, that Israel would walk in my ways!

¹⁴I would soon subdue their enemies, and turn my hand against their adversaries.

¹⁵The haters of the Lord would cringe before him, and their punishment would last forever.

¹⁶But he would have also fed them with the finest of the wheat. I will satisfy you with honey out of the rock."