Psalm 81

Psalm 81

A CALL TO OBEDIENCE

For the choir director: on the Gittith. Of Asaph.^aa

¹Sing for joy to God our strength;

shout in triumph to the God of Jacob.^ab

²Lift up a song—play the tambourine,

the melodious lyre, and the harp.^ac

³Blow the trumpet on the day of our feasts^D

during the new moon^ad

and during the full moon.

⁴For this is a statute for Israel,

an ordinance of the God of Jacob.^ae

⁵He set it up as a decree for Joseph

when he went throughout^E the land of Egypt.^af

I heard an unfamiliar language:

⁶“I relieved his shoulder from the burden;

his hands were freed from carrying the basket.^ag

⁷You called out in distress, and I rescued you;

I answered you from the thundercloud.^ah

I tested you at the Waters of Meribah.^ai

Selah

⁸Listen, my people, and I will admonish you.

Israel, if you would only listen to me!^aj

⁹There must not be a strange god among you;

you must not bow down to a foreign god.^ak

¹⁰I am the Lord your God,

who brought you up from the land of Egypt.^al

Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.^am

¹¹“But my people did not listen to my voice;

Israel did not obey me.^a

¹²So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts

to follow their own plans.^b

¹³If only my people would listen to me

and Israel would follow my ways,^c

¹⁴I would quickly subdue their enemies

and turn my hand against their foes.”^d

¹⁵Those who hate the Lord

would cower to him;^e

their doom would last forever.^f

¹⁶But he would feed Israel^F with the best wheat.

“I would satisfy you with honey from the rock.”^g