Psalm 81

A Call to Obedience

For the choir director: on the Gittith. Of Asaph.(A)

Sing for joy to God our strength;
shout in triumph to the God of Jacob.(B)
Lift up a song—play the tambourine,
the melodious lyre, and the harp.(C)
Blow the ram’s horn on the day of our feasts[a]
during the new moon(D)
and during the full moon.
For this is a statute for Israel,
an ordinance of the God of Jacob.(E)
He set it up as a decree for Joseph
when he went throughout[b] the land of Egypt.(F)
I heard an unfamiliar language:
“I relieved his shoulder from the burden;
his hands were freed from carrying the basket.(G)
You called out in distress, and I rescued you;
I answered you from the thundercloud.(H)
I tested you at the Waters of Meribah.(I)Selah
Listen, my people, and I will admonish you.
Israel, if you would only listen to me!(J)
There must not be a strange god among you;
you must not bow down to a foreign god.(K)
10 I am the Lord your God,
who brought you up from the land of Egypt.(L)
Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.(M)

11 “But my people did not listen to my voice;
Israel did not obey me.(N)
12 So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts
to follow their own plans.(O)
13 If only my people would listen to me
and Israel would follow my ways,(P)
14 I would quickly subdue their enemies
and turn my hand against their foes.”(Q)
15 Those who hate the Lord
would cower to him;(R)
their doom would last forever.(S)
16 But he would feed Israel[c] with the best wheat.
“I would satisfy you with honey from the rock.”(T)

Notas al pie

  1. 81:3 Lit feast
  2. 81:5 Or he gained authority over
  3. 81:16 Lit him

An Appeal from God to Israel

For the music director; on the Gittith. Of Asaph.[a]

81 Shout out to God our strength;
shout joyfully to the God of Jacob.
Lift up a song and strike[b] the tambourine,
the pleasant lyre, together with the harp.
Blow the horn at new moon,
at full moon, for our feast day,
because it is a statute for Israel,
an ordinance of the God of Jacob.
He made it a statute[c] in Joseph
when he went out against the land of Egypt,
where I heard a language I did not know.[d]
“I removed his shoulder from a burden.
His hands were freed from the basket.
In this[e] trouble you called, and I rescued you.
Within the secret place of thunder I answered you;
I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah
Hear, O my people, and I will admonish you;
O Israel, if you would but listen to me.
There shall be no strange god among you,
and you shall not bow down to a foreign god.
10 I am Yahweh your God,
who brought you up from the land of Egypt.
Open wide your mouth and I will fill it.
11 But my people did not listen to my voice,
and Israel did not yield to me.
12 So I let them[f] go in the stubbornness of their heart;
they walked in their counsels.
13 Oh that my people would listen to me;
that Israel would walk in my ways.
14 I would subdue their enemies quickly,
and turn my hand against their adversaries.
15 Those who hate Yahweh would cringe before him,
and their fate[g] would be forever.
16 But he would feed him[h] from the choicest wheat,[i]
and I would satisfy you with honey from a rock.”

Notas al pie

  1. Psalm 81:1 The Hebrew Bible counts the superscription as the first verse of the psalm; the English verse number is reduced by one
  2. Psalm 81:2 Hebrew “give”
  3. Psalm 81:5 Hebrew “testimony” or “witness”
  4. Psalm 81:5 The meaning of this line is uncertain. The above is based on perhaps a similar thought in Psa 114:1
  5. Psalm 81:7 Hebrew “the”
  6. Psalm 81:12 Hebrew “him”
  7. Psalm 81:15 Hebrew “time”
  8. Psalm 81:16 That is, Israel
  9. Psalm 81:16 Hebrew “the fat of wheat”