God’s Goodness and Israel’s Waywardness.

For the music director; [a]on the Gittith. A Psalm of Asaph.

81 (A)Sing for joy to God our (B)strength;
Shout (C)joyfully to the (D)God of Jacob.
Raise a song, strike (E)the tambourine,
The sweet sounding (F)lyre with the (G)harp.
Blow the trumpet at the (H)new moon,
At the full moon, on our (I)feast day.
For it is a statute for Israel,
An ordinance of the God of Jacob.
He established it as a testimony in Joseph
When he [b](J)went throughout the land of Egypt.
I heard a (K)language I did not know:

“I [c](L)relieved his shoulder of the burden,
His hands were freed from the [d]basket.
You (M)called in trouble and I rescued you;
I (N)answered you in the hiding place of thunder;
I put you to the test at the (O)waters of Meribah. Selah
(P)Hear, My people, and I will admonish you;
Israel, if you (Q)would listen to Me!
There shall be no (R)strange god among you;
Nor shall you worship a foreign god.
10 (S)I, the Lord, am your God,
Who brought you up from the land of Egypt;
(T)Open your mouth wide and I will (U)fill it.

11 “But My people (V)did not listen to My voice,
And Israel did not [e]obey Me.
12 So I (W)gave [f]them over to the stubbornness of their heart,
To walk by their own plans.
13 Oh that My people (X)would listen to Me,
That Israel would (Y)walk in My ways!
14 I would quickly (Z)subdue their enemies
And (AA)turn My hand against their adversaries.
15 (AB)Those who hate the Lord would (AC)pretend to obey Him,
And their time of punishment would be forever.
16 [g]But I would feed you with the [h](AD)finest of the wheat,
And with (AE)honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 81 Title Or according to
  2. Psalm 81:5 Lit went out over
  3. Psalm 81:6 Lit removed his shoulder from
  4. Psalm 81:6 Or brick load
  5. Psalm 81:11 Lit yield to
  6. Psalm 81:12 Lit him
  7. Psalm 81:16 Lit He would feed him
  8. Psalm 81:16 Lit fat

God’s goodness and Israel’s waywardness.

For the Chief Musician; set to the Gittith. A Psalm of Asaph.

81 Sing aloud unto God our strength:
Make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob.
Raise a song, and [a]bring hither the timbrel,
The pleasant harp with the psaltery.
Blow the trumpet at the new moon,
At the full moon, on our feast-day.
For it is a statute for Israel,
An ordinance of the God of Jacob.
He appointed it in Joseph for a testimony,
When he went out [b]over the land of Egypt,
Where I heard [c]a language that I knew not.
I removed his shoulder from the burden:
His hands were freed from the basket.
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 wouldest hearken unto me!
There shall no strange god be in thee;
Neither shalt thou worship any foreign god.
10 I am Jehovah thy God,
Who brought thee up out of the land of Egypt:
Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.
11 But my people hearkened not to my voice;
And Israel would none of me.
12 So I let them go after the stubbornness of their heart,
That they might walk in their own counsels.
13 Oh that my people would hearken unto me,
That Israel would walk in my ways!
14 I would soon subdue their enemies,
And turn my hand against their adversaries.
15 The haters of Jehovah should [d]submit themselves unto him:
But their time should endure for ever.
16 He would feed them also with the [e]finest of the wheat;
And with honey out of the rock would I satisfy thee.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 81:2 Or, strike the timbrel
  2. Psalm 81:5 Or, against
  3. Psalm 81:5 Or, the speech of one that etc.
  4. Psalm 81:15 Or, yield feigned obedience. Hebrew lie.
  5. Psalm 81:16 Hebrew fat of wheat.