Psalm 81:6–16

“I relieved your shoulder of the burden;

your hands were freed from the basket.

In distress you called, and I delivered you;

I answered you in the secret place of thunder;

I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah

Hear, O my people, while I admonish you!

O Israel, if you would but listen to me!

There shall be no strange god among you;

you shall not bow down to a foreign god.

I am the Lord your God,

who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.

Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.

“But my people did not listen to my voice;

Israel would not submit to me.

So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts,

to follow their own counsels.

Oh, that my people would listen to me,

that Israel would walk in my ways!

I would soon subdue their enemies

and turn my hand against their foes.

Those who hate the Lord would cringe toward him,

and their fate would last forever.

But he would feed you with the finest of the wheat,

and with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”

“I removed the burden from their shoulders;

their hands were set free from the basket.

In your distress you called and I rescued you,

I answered you out of a thundercloud;

I tested you at the waters of Meribah.

Hear me, my people, and I will warn you—

if you would only listen to me, Israel!

You shall have no foreign god among you;

you shall not worship any god other than me.

I am the Lord your God,

who brought you up out of Egypt.

Open wide your mouth and I will fill it.

“But my people would not listen to me;

Israel would not submit to me.

So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts

to follow their own devices.

“If my people would only listen to me,

if Israel would only follow my ways,

how quickly I would subdue their enemies

and turn my hand against their foes!

Those who hate the Lord would cringe before him,

and their punishment would last forever.

But you would be fed with the finest of wheat;

with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”

“Now I will take the load from your shoulders;

I will free your hands from their heavy tasks.

You cried to me in trouble, and I saved you;

I answered out of the thundercloud

and tested your faith when there was no water at Meribah.

Interlude

“Listen to me, O my people, while I give you stern warnings.

O Israel, if you would only listen to me!

You must never have a foreign god;

you must not bow down before a false god.

For it was I, the Lord your God,

who rescued you from the land of Egypt.

Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it with good things.

“But no, my people wouldn’t listen.

Israel did not want me around.

So I let them follow their own stubborn desires,

living according to their own ideas.

Oh, that my people would listen to me!

Oh, that Israel would follow me, walking in my paths!

How quickly I would then subdue their enemies!

How soon my hands would be upon their foes!

Those who hate the Lord would cringe before him;

they would be doomed forever.

But I would feed you with the finest wheat.

I would satisfy you with wild honey from the rock.”

“I removed his shoulder from a burden.

His hands were freed from the basket.

In this 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.

I am Yahweh your God,

who brought you up from the land of Egypt.

Open wide your mouth and I will fill it.

But my people did not listen to my voice,

and Israel did not yield to me.

So I let them go in the stubbornness of their heart;

they walked in their counsels.

Oh that my people would listen to me;

that Israel would walk in my ways.

I would subdue their enemies quickly,

and turn my hand against their adversaries.

Those who hate Yahweh would cringe before him,

and their fate would be forever.

But he would feed him from the choicest wheat,

and I would satisfy you with honey from a rock.”

I removed his shoulder from the burden:

His hands were delivered from the pots.

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 wilt hearken unto me;

There shall no strange god be in thee;

Neither shalt thou worship any strange god.

I am the Lord thy God,

Which brought thee out of the land of Egypt:

Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.

But my people would not hearken to my voice;

And Israel would none of me.

So I gave them up unto their own hearts’ lust:

And they walked in their own counsels.

Oh that my people had hearkened unto me,

And Israel had walked in my ways!

I should soon have subdued their enemies,

And turned my hand against their adversaries.

The haters of the Lord should have submitted themselves unto him:

But their time should have endured for ever.

He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat:

And with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee.