Psalm 81

A Song for a Festival^z

81 Shout for joy to God our defender;

sing praise to the God of Jacob!

²Start the music and beat the tambourines;

play pleasant music on the harps and the lyres.

^3*Blow the trumpet for the festival,

when the moon is new and when the moon is full.

⁴This is the law in Israel,

an order from the God of Jacob.

⁵He gave it to the people of Israel when he attacked the land of Egypt.

I hear an unknown voice saying,

⁶“I took the burdens off your backs;

I let you put down your loads of bricks.

^7*When you were in trouble, you called to me, and I saved you.

From my hiding place in the storm, I answered you.

I put you to the test at the springs of Meribah.

⁸Listen, my people, to my warning;

Israel, how I wish you would listen to me!

^9*You must never worship another god.

¹⁰I am the Lord your God,

who brought you out of Egypt.

Open your mouth, and I will feed you.

¹¹“But my people would not listen to me;

Israel would not obey me.

¹²So I let them go their stubborn ways

and do whatever they wanted.

¹³How I wish my people would listen to me;

how I wish they would obey me!

¹⁴I would quickly defeat their enemies

and conquer all their foes.

¹⁵Those who hate me would bow in fear before me;

their punishment would last for ever.

¹⁶But I would feed you with the finest wheat

and satisfy you with wild honey.”