Oh, That My People Would Listen to Me

To the choirmaster: according to (A)The Gittith.[a] Of (B)Asaph.

81 (C)Sing aloud to God our strength;
    (D)shout for joy to the God of Jacob!
Raise a song; sound (E)the tambourine,
    (F)the sweet lyre with (G)the harp.
Blow the trumpet at (H)the new moon,
    at the full moon, on our feast day.

For it is a statute for Israel,
    a rule[b] of the God of Jacob.
He made it (I)a decree in (J)Joseph
    when he (K)went out over[c] the land of Egypt.
(L)I hear a language (M)I had not known:
“I (N)relieved your[d] shoulder of (O)the burden;
    your hands were freed from the basket.
In distress you (P)called, and I delivered you;
    I (Q)answered you in the secret place of thunder;
    I (R)tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah
(S)Hear, O my people, while I admonish you!
    O Israel, if you would but listen to me!
There shall be no (T)strange god among you;
    you shall not bow down to a (U)foreign god.
10 (V)I am the Lord your God,
    who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.
    (W)Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.

11 “But my people did not listen to my voice;
    Israel (X)would not submit to me.
12 So I (Y)gave them over to their (Z)stubborn hearts,
    to follow their own (AA)counsels.
13 (AB)Oh, that my people would listen to me,
    that Israel would (AC)walk in my ways!
14 I would soon subdue their enemies
    and (AD)turn my hand against their foes.
15 Those who hate the Lord would (AE)cringe toward him,
    and their fate would last forever.
16 But he would feed you[e] with (AF)the finest of the wheat,
    and with (AG)honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”

Notas al pie

  1. Psalm 81:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
  2. Psalm 81:4 Or just decree
  3. Psalm 81:5 Or against
  4. Psalm 81:6 Hebrew his; also next line
  5. Psalm 81:16 That is, Israel; Hebrew him

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.”

Notas al pie

  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.

Hear the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob, and all the clans of the house of Israel. Thus says the Lord:

(A)“What wrong did your fathers find in me
    that they went far from me,
(B)and went after (C)worthlessness, and became worthless?
They did not say, (D)‘Where is the Lord
    who brought us up from the land of Egypt,
who led us (E)in the wilderness,
    in a land of deserts and pits,
in a land of drought and deep darkness,
    in a land that none passes through,
    where no man dwells?’
(F)And I brought you into a plentiful land
    to enjoy its fruits and its good things.
But when you came in, (G)you defiled my land
    and made my heritage an abomination.
The priests did not say, ‘Where is the Lord?’
    (H)Those who handle the law did not know me;
(I)the shepherds[a] transgressed against me;
    (J)the prophets prophesied by Baal
    and went after (K)things that do not profit.

“Therefore (L)I still contend with you,
declares the Lord,
    and (M)with your children's children I will contend.
10 For cross to the coasts of (N)Cyprus and see,
    or send to (O)Kedar and examine with care;
    see if there has been such a thing.
11 (P)Has a nation changed its gods,
    (Q)even though they are no gods?
But my people (R)have changed their glory
    for (S)that which does not profit.
12 Be appalled, (T)O heavens, at this;
    be shocked, be utterly desolate,
declares the Lord,
13 for my people have committed two evils:
(U)they have forsaken (V)me,
    the fountain of (W)living waters,
and hewed out cisterns for themselves,
    broken cisterns that can hold no water.

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Notas al pie

  1. Jeremiah 2:8 Or rulers

Hear the word of the Lord, you descendants of Jacob,
    all you clans of Israel.

This is what the Lord says:

“What fault did your ancestors find in me,
    that they strayed so far from me?
They followed worthless idols(A)
    and became worthless(B) themselves.
They did not ask, ‘Where is the Lord,
    who brought us up out of Egypt(C)
and led us through the barren wilderness,
    through a land of deserts(D) and ravines,(E)
a land of drought and utter darkness,
    a land where no one travels(F) and no one lives?’
I brought you into a fertile land
    to eat its fruit and rich produce.(G)
But you came and defiled my land
    and made my inheritance detestable.(H)
The priests did not ask,
    ‘Where is the Lord?’
Those who deal with the law did not know me;(I)
    the leaders(J) rebelled against me.
The prophets prophesied by Baal,(K)
    following worthless idols.(L)

“Therefore I bring charges(M) against you again,”
declares the Lord.
    “And I will bring charges against your children’s children.
10 Cross over to the coasts of Cyprus(N) and look,
    send to Kedar[a](O) and observe closely;
    see if there has ever been anything like this:
11 Has a nation ever changed its gods?
    (Yet they are not gods(P) at all.)
But my people have exchanged their glorious(Q) God
    for worthless idols.
12 Be appalled at this, you heavens,
    and shudder with great horror,”
declares the Lord.
13 “My people have committed two sins:
They have forsaken(R) me,
    the spring of living water,(S)
and have dug their own cisterns,
    broken cisterns that cannot hold water.

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Notas al pie

  1. Jeremiah 2:10 In the Syro-Arabian desert

14 About the middle of the feast Jesus went up (A)into the temple and began teaching. 15 The Jews therefore (B)marveled, saying, “How is it that this man has learning,[a] when he has never studied?” 16 So Jesus answered them, (C)“My teaching is not mine, but his (D)who sent me. 17 (E)If anyone's will is to do God's[b] will, (F)he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I (G)am speaking on my own authority. 18 The one who speaks on his own authority (H)seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood. 19 (I)Has not Moses given you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law. (J)Why do you seek to kill me?” 20 The crowd answered, (K)“You have a demon! Who is seeking to kill you?” 21 Jesus answered them, “I did (L)one work, and you all marvel at it. 22 (M)Moses gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but (N)from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. 23 If on the Sabbath a man receives circumcision, so that the law of Moses may not be broken, (O)are you angry with me because on the Sabbath I made a man's whole body well? 24 (P)Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.”

Can This Be the Christ?

25 Some of the people of Jerusalem therefore said, “Is not this the man whom (Q)they seek to kill? 26 And here he is, (R)speaking openly, and they say nothing to him! Can it be that (S)the authorities really know that this is the Christ? 27 But (T)we know (U)where this man comes from, and when the Christ appears, (V)no one will know where he comes from.” 28 So Jesus proclaimed, (W)as he taught in the temple, (X)“You know me, and you know where I come from. But (Y)I have not come of my own accord. (Z)He who sent me is true, (AA)and him you do not know. 29 (AB)I know him, for I come (AC)from him, and (AD)he sent me.” 30 (AE)So they were seeking to arrest him, but (AF)no one laid a hand on him, (AG)because his hour had not yet come. 31 Yet (AH)many of the people believed in him. They said, (AI)“When the Christ appears, will he do more signs than this man has done?”

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Notas al pie

  1. John 7:15 Or this man knows his letters
  2. John 7:17 Greek his

Jesus Teaches at the Festival

14 Not until halfway through the festival did Jesus go up to the temple courts and begin to teach.(A) 15 The Jews(B) there were amazed and asked, “How did this man get such learning(C) without having been taught?”(D)

16 Jesus answered, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me.(E) 17 Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out(F) whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. 18 Whoever speaks on their own does so to gain personal glory,(G) but he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him. 19 Has not Moses given you the law?(H) Yet not one of you keeps the law. Why are you trying to kill me?”(I)

20 “You are demon-possessed,”(J) the crowd answered. “Who is trying to kill you?”

21 Jesus said to them, “I did one miracle,(K) and you are all amazed. 22 Yet, because Moses gave you circumcision(L) (though actually it did not come from Moses, but from the patriarchs),(M) you circumcise a boy on the Sabbath. 23 Now if a boy can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses may not be broken, why are you angry with me for healing a man’s whole body on the Sabbath? 24 Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.”(N)

Division Over Who Jesus Is

25 At that point some of the people of Jerusalem began to ask, “Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill?(O) 26 Here he is, speaking publicly, and they are not saying a word to him. Have the authorities(P) really concluded that he is the Messiah?(Q) 27 But we know where this man is from;(R) when the Messiah comes, no one will know where he is from.”

28 Then Jesus, still teaching in the temple courts,(S) cried out, “Yes, you know me, and you know where I am from.(T) I am not here on my own authority, but he who sent me is true.(U) You do not know him, 29 but I know him(V) because I am from him and he sent me.”(W)

30 At this they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him,(X) because his hour had not yet come.(Y) 31 Still, many in the crowd believed in him.(Z) They said, “When the Messiah comes, will he perform more signs(AA) than this man?”

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Rivers of Living Water

37 (A)On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, (B)“If anyone thirsts, let him (C)come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, (D)as[a] the Scripture has said, (E)‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of (F)living water.’” 39 Now (G)this he said about the Spirit, (H)whom those who believed in him were to receive, (I)for as yet the Spirit had not been (J)given, (K)because Jesus was not yet glorified.

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Notas al pie

  1. John 7:38 Or let him come to me, and let him who believes in me drink. As

37 On the last and greatest day of the festival,(A) Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink.(B) 38 Whoever believes(C) in me, as Scripture has said,(D) rivers of living water(E) will flow from within them.”[a](F) 39 By this he meant the Spirit,(G) whom those who believed in him were later to receive.(H) Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.(I)

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Notas al pie

  1. John 7:38 Or me. And let anyone drink 38 who believes in me.” As Scripture has said, “Out of him (or them) will flow rivers of living water.”