81 Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob.

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

12 So I gave them up unto their own hearts' lust: and they walked in their own counsels.

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

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

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

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

82 God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods.

How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked? Selah.

Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy.

Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked.

They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course.

I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.

But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes.

Arise, O God, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations.

83 Keep not thou silence, O God: hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God.

For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee have lifted up the head.

They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones.

They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.

For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee:

The tabernacles of Edom, and the Ishmaelites; of Moab, and the Hagarenes;

Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek; the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre;

Assur also is joined with them: they have holpen the children of Lot. Selah.

Do unto them as unto the Midianites; as to Sisera, as to Jabin, at the brook of Kison:

10 Which perished at Endor: they became as dung for the earth.

11 Make their nobles like Oreb, and like Zeeb: yea, all their princes as Zebah, and as Zalmunna:

12 Who said, Let us take to ourselves the houses of God in possession.

13 O my God, make them like a wheel; as the stubble before the wind.

14 As the fire burneth a wood, and as the flame setteth the mountains on fire;

15 So persecute them with thy tempest, and make them afraid with thy storm.

16 Fill their faces with shame; that they may seek thy name, O Lord.

17 Let them be confounded and troubled for ever; yea, let them be put to shame, and perish:

18 That men may know that thou, whose name alone is Jehovah, art the most high over all the earth.

84 How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts!

My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.

Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even thine altars, O Lord of hosts, my King, and my God.

Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will be still praising thee. Selah.

Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them.

Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools.

They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God.

O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer: give ear, O God of Jacob. Selah.

Behold, O God our shield, and look upon the face of thine anointed.

10 For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.

11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.

12 O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.

Psalm 81[a]

For the director of music. According to gittith.[b] Of Asaph.

Sing for joy to God our strength;
    shout aloud to the God of Jacob!(A)
Begin the music, strike the timbrel,(B)
    play the melodious harp(C) and lyre.(D)

Sound the ram’s horn(E) at the New Moon,(F)
    and when the moon is full, on the day of our festival;
this is a decree for Israel,
    an ordinance of the God of Jacob.(G)
When God went out against Egypt,(H)
    he established it as a statute for Joseph.

I heard an unknown voice say:(I)

“I removed the burden(J) from their shoulders;(K)
    their hands were set free from the basket.
In your distress you called(L) and I rescued you,
    I answered(M) you out of a thundercloud;
    I tested you at the waters of Meribah.[c](N)
Hear me, my people,(O) and I will warn you—
    if you would only listen to me, Israel!
You shall have no foreign god(P) among you;
    you shall not worship any god other than me.
10 I am the Lord your God,
    who brought you up out of Egypt.(Q)
Open(R) wide your mouth and I will fill(S) it.

11 “But my people would not listen to me;
    Israel would not submit to me.(T)
12 So I gave them over(U) to their stubborn hearts
    to follow their own devices.

13 “If my people would only listen to me,(V)
    if Israel would only follow my ways,
14 how quickly I would subdue(W) their enemies
    and turn my hand against(X) their foes!
15 Those who hate the Lord would cringe(Y) before him,
    and their punishment would last forever.
16 But you would be fed with the finest of wheat;(Z)
    with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”

Psalm 82

A psalm of Asaph.

God presides in the great assembly;
    he renders judgment(AA) among the “gods”:(AB)

“How long will you[d] defend the unjust
    and show partiality(AC) to the wicked?[e](AD)
Defend the weak and the fatherless;(AE)
    uphold the cause of the poor(AF) and the oppressed.
Rescue the weak and the needy;
    deliver them from the hand of the wicked.

“The ‘gods’ know nothing, they understand nothing.(AG)
    They walk about in darkness;(AH)
    all the foundations(AI) of the earth are shaken.

“I said, ‘You are “gods”;(AJ)
    you are all sons of the Most High.’
But you will die(AK) like mere mortals;
    you will fall like every other ruler.”

Rise up,(AL) O God, judge(AM) the earth,
    for all the nations are your inheritance.(AN)

Psalm 83[f]

A song. A psalm of Asaph.

O God, do not remain silent;(AO)
    do not turn a deaf ear,
    do not stand aloof, O God.
See how your enemies growl,(AP)
    how your foes rear their heads.(AQ)
With cunning they conspire(AR) against your people;
    they plot against those you cherish.(AS)
“Come,” they say, “let us destroy(AT) them as a nation,(AU)
    so that Israel’s name is remembered(AV) no more.”

With one mind they plot together;(AW)
    they form an alliance against you—
the tents of Edom(AX) and the Ishmaelites,
    of Moab(AY) and the Hagrites,(AZ)
Byblos,(BA) Ammon(BB) and Amalek,(BC)
    Philistia,(BD) with the people of Tyre.(BE)
Even Assyria(BF) has joined them
    to reinforce Lot’s descendants.[g](BG)

Do to them as you did to Midian,(BH)
    as you did to Sisera(BI) and Jabin(BJ) at the river Kishon,(BK)
10 who perished at Endor(BL)
    and became like dung(BM) on the ground.
11 Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb,(BN)
    all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,(BO)
12 who said, “Let us take possession(BP)
    of the pasturelands of God.”

13 Make them like tumbleweed, my God,
    like chaff(BQ) before the wind.
14 As fire consumes the forest
    or a flame sets the mountains ablaze,(BR)
15 so pursue them with your tempest(BS)
    and terrify them with your storm.(BT)
16 Cover their faces with shame,(BU) Lord,
    so that they will seek your name.

17 May they ever be ashamed and dismayed;(BV)
    may they perish in disgrace.(BW)
18 Let them know that you, whose name is the Lord(BX)
    that you alone are the Most High(BY) over all the earth.(BZ)

Psalm 84[h]

For the director of music. According to gittith.[i] Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.

How lovely is your dwelling place,(CA)
    Lord Almighty!
My soul yearns,(CB) even faints,
    for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh cry out
    for the living God.(CC)
Even the sparrow has found a home,
    and the swallow a nest for herself,
    where she may have her young—
a place near your altar,(CD)
    Lord Almighty,(CE) my King(CF) and my God.(CG)
Blessed are those who dwell in your house;
    they are ever praising you.[j]

Blessed are those whose strength(CH) is in you,
    whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.(CI)
As they pass through the Valley of Baka,
    they make it a place of springs;(CJ)
    the autumn(CK) rains also cover it with pools.[k]
They go from strength to strength,(CL)
    till each appears(CM) before God in Zion.(CN)

Hear my prayer,(CO) Lord God Almighty;
    listen to me, God of Jacob.
Look on our shield,[l](CP) O God;
    look with favor on your anointed one.(CQ)

10 Better is one day in your courts
    than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper(CR) in the house of my God
    than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
11 For the Lord God is a sun(CS) and shield;(CT)
    the Lord bestows favor and honor;
no good thing does he withhold(CU)
    from those whose walk is blameless.

12 Lord Almighty,
    blessed(CV) is the one who trusts in you.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 81:1 In Hebrew texts 81:1-16 is numbered 81:2-17.
  2. Psalm 81:1 Title: Probably a musical term
  3. Psalm 81:7 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
  4. Psalm 82:2 The Hebrew is plural.
  5. Psalm 82:2 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
  6. Psalm 83:1 In Hebrew texts 83:1-18 is numbered 83:2-19.
  7. Psalm 83:8 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
  8. Psalm 84:1 In Hebrew texts 84:1-12 is numbered 84:2-13.
  9. Psalm 84:1 Title: Probably a musical term
  10. Psalm 84:4 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 8.
  11. Psalm 84:6 Or blessings
  12. Psalm 84:9 Or sovereign