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

Psalm 81

For the music leader. According to the Gittith. Of Asaph.

81 Rejoice out loud to God, our strength!
    Shout for joy to Jacob’s God!
Take up a song and strike the drum!
    Sweet lyre along with harp!
Blow the horn on the new moon,
    at the full moon, for our day of celebration!
Because this is the law for Israel;
    this is a rule of Jacob’s God.
He made it a decree for Joseph
    when he went out against the land of Egypt,
    when I heard a language I did not yet know:

“I lifted the burden off your shoulders;
    your hands are free of the brick basket!
In distress you cried out, so I rescued you.
    I answered you in the secret of thunder.
    I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah
Listen, my people, I’m warning you!
    If only you would listen to me, Israel.
There must be no foreign god among you.
    You must not bow down to any strange deity.
10 I am the Lord your God,
    who brought you up from Egypt’s land.
    Open your mouth wide—I will fill it up!

11 But my people wouldn’t listen to my voice.
    Israel simply wasn’t agreeable toward me.
12 So I sent them off to follow their willful hearts;
    they followed their own advice.
13 How I wish my people would listen to me!
    How I wish Israel would walk in my ways!
14 Then I would subdue their enemies in a second;
    I would turn my hand against their foes.
15 Those who hate the Lord would grovel before me,
    and their doom would last forever!
16 But I would feed you with the finest wheat.
    I would satisfy you with honey from the rock.”