Psalm 81-85
New King James Version
An Appeal for Israel’s Repentance
To the Chief Musician. (A)On[a] an instrument of Gath. A Psalm of Asaph.
81 Sing aloud to God our strength;
Make a joyful shout to the God of Jacob.
2 Raise a song and strike the timbrel,
The pleasant harp with the lute.
3 Blow the trumpet at the time of the New Moon,
At the full moon, on our solemn feast day.
4 For (B)this is a statute for Israel,
A law of the God of Jacob.
5 This He established in Joseph as a testimony,
When He went throughout the land of Egypt,
(C)Where I heard a language I did not understand.
6 “I removed his shoulder from the burden;
His hands were freed from the baskets.
7 (D)You called in trouble, and I delivered you;
(E)I answered you in the secret place of thunder;
I (F)tested you at the waters of [b]Meribah. Selah
8 “Hear,(G) O My people, and I will admonish you!
O Israel, if you will listen to Me!
9 There shall be no (H)foreign god among you;
Nor shall you worship any foreign god.
10 (I)I am the Lord your God,
Who brought you out of the land of Egypt;
(J)Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.
11 “But My people would not heed My voice,
And Israel would have (K)none of Me.
12 (L)So I gave them over to [c]their own stubborn heart,
To walk in their own counsels.
13 “Oh,(M) that My people would listen to Me,
That Israel would walk in My ways!
14 I would soon subdue their enemies,
And turn My hand against their adversaries.
15 (N)The haters of the Lord would pretend submission to Him,
But their [d]fate would endure forever.
16 He would (O)have fed them also with [e]the finest of wheat;
And with honey (P)from the rock I would have satisfied you.”
A Plea for Justice
A Psalm of Asaph.
82 God (Q)stands in the congregation of [f]the mighty;
He judges among (R)the [g]gods.
2 How long will you judge unjustly,
And (S)show partiality to the wicked? Selah
3 [h]Defend the poor and fatherless;
Do justice to the afflicted and (T)needy.
4 Deliver the poor and needy;
Free them from the hand of the wicked.
5 They do not know, nor do they understand;
They walk about in darkness;
All the (U)foundations of the earth are [i]unstable.
6 I said, (V)“You are [j]gods,
And all of you are children of the Most High.
7 But you shall die like men,
And fall like one of the princes.”
8 Arise, O God, judge the earth;
(W)For You shall inherit all nations.
Prayer to Frustrate Conspiracy Against Israel
A Song. A Psalm of Asaph.
83 Do(X) not keep silent, O God!
Do not hold Your peace,
And do not be still, O God!
2 For behold, (Y)Your enemies make a [k]tumult;
And those who hate You have [l]lifted up their head.
3 They have taken crafty counsel against Your people,
And consulted together (Z)against Your sheltered ones.
4 They have said, “Come, and (AA)let us cut them off from being a nation,
That the name of Israel may be remembered no more.”
5 For they have consulted together with one [m]consent;
They [n]form a confederacy against You:
6 (AB)The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites;
Moab and the Hagrites;
7 Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek;
Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre;
8 Assyria also has joined with them;
They have helped the children of Lot. Selah
9 Deal with them as with (AC)Midian,
As with (AD)Sisera,
As with Jabin at the Brook Kishon,
10 Who perished at En Dor,
(AE)Who became as refuse on the earth.
11 Make their nobles like (AF)Oreb and like Zeeb,
Yes, all their princes like (AG)Zebah and Zalmunna,
12 Who said, “Let us take for ourselves
The pastures of God for a possession.”
13 (AH)O my God, make them like the whirling dust,
(AI)Like the chaff before the wind!
14 As the fire burns the woods,
And as the flame (AJ)sets the mountains on fire,
15 So pursue them with Your tempest,
And frighten them with Your storm.
16 Fill their faces with shame,
That they may seek Your name, O Lord.
17 Let them be [o]confounded and dismayed forever;
Yes, let them be put to shame and perish,
18 (AK)That they may know that You, whose (AL)name alone is the Lord,
Are (AM)the Most High over all the earth.
The Blessedness of Dwelling in the House of God
To the Chief Musician. (AN)On[p] an instrument of Gath. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.
84 How (AO)lovely [q]is Your tabernacle,
O Lord of hosts!
2 (AP)My soul longs, yes, even faints
For the courts of the Lord;
My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.
3 Even the sparrow has found a home,
And the swallow a nest for herself,
Where she may lay her young—
Even Your altars, O Lord of hosts,
My King and my God.
4 Blessed are those who dwell in Your (AQ)house;
They will still be praising You. Selah
5 Blessed is the man whose strength is in You,
Whose heart is set on pilgrimage.
6 As they pass through the Valley (AR)of [r]Baca,
They make it a spring;
The rain also covers it with [s]pools.
7 They go (AS)from strength to strength;
[t]Each one (AT)appears before God in Zion.
8 O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer;
Give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah
9 (AU)O God, behold our shield,
And look upon the face of Your [u]anointed.
10 For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand.
I would rather [v]be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
Than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
11 For the Lord God is (AV)a sun and (AW)shield;
The Lord will give grace and glory;
(AX)No good thing will He withhold
From those who walk uprightly.
12 O Lord of hosts,
(AY)Blessed is the man who trusts in You!
Prayer that the Lord Will Restore Favor to the Land
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm (AZ)of the sons of Korah.
85 Lord, You have been favorable to Your land;
You have (BA)brought back the captivity of Jacob.
2 You have forgiven the iniquity of Your people;
You have covered all their sin. Selah
3 You have taken away all Your wrath;
You have turned from the fierceness of Your anger.
4 (BB)Restore us, O God of our salvation,
And cause Your anger toward us to cease.
5 (BC)Will You be angry with us forever?
Will You prolong Your anger to all generations?
6 Will You not (BD)revive us again,
That Your people may rejoice in You?
7 Show us Your mercy, Lord,
And grant us Your salvation.
8 I will hear what God the Lord will speak,
For He will speak peace
To His people and to His saints;
But let them not turn back to [w]folly.
9 Surely (BE)His salvation is near to those who fear Him,
(BF)That glory may dwell in our land.
10 Mercy and truth have met together;
(BG)Righteousness and peace have kissed.
11 Truth shall spring out of the earth,
And righteousness shall look down from heaven.
12 (BH)Yes, the Lord will give what is good;
And our land will yield its increase.
13 Righteousness will go before Him,
And shall make His footsteps our pathway.
Footnotes
- Psalm 81:1 Heb. Al Gittith
- Psalm 81:7 Lit. Strife or Contention
- Psalm 81:12 the dictates of their heart
- Psalm 81:15 Lit. time
- Psalm 81:16 Lit. fat of wheat
- Psalm 82:1 Heb. El, lit. God
- Psalm 82:1 Judges; Heb. elohim, lit. mighty ones or gods
- Psalm 82:3 Vindicate
- Psalm 82:5 moved
- Psalm 82:6 Judges; Heb. elohim, lit. mighty ones or gods
- Psalm 83:2 uproar
- Psalm 83:2 Exalted themselves
- Psalm 83:5 Lit. heart
- Psalm 83:5 Lit. cut a covenant
- Psalm 83:17 ashamed
- Psalm 84:1 Heb. Al Gittith
- Psalm 84:1 are Your dwellings
- Psalm 84:6 Lit. Weeping
- Psalm 84:6 Or blessings
- Psalm 84:7 LXX, Syr., Vg. The God of gods shall be seen
- Psalm 84:9 Commissioned one, Heb. messiah
- Psalm 84:10 stand at the threshold
- Psalm 85:8 foolishness
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Bible Gateway Recommends
