Psalm 81–83

Psalm 81

A Call to Obedience

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

¹Sing for joy to God our strength;

shout in triumph to the God of Jacob. ^z

²Lift up a song—play the tambourine,

the melodious lyre, and the harp. ^a

³Blow the horn on the day of our feasts ^bc

during the new moon ^d

and during the full moon.

⁴For this is a statute for Israel,

a judgment of the God of Jacob. ^e

⁵He set it up as an ordinance for Joseph

when He went throughout ^fthe land of Egypt. ^g

I heard an unfamiliar language:

⁶“I relieved his shoulder from the burden;

his hands were freed from carrying the basket. ^h

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

I answered you from the thundercloud. ⁱ

I tested you at the waters of Meribah. ^jSelah

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

Israel, if you would only listen to Me! ^k

⁹There must not be a strange god among you;

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

¹⁰I am Yahweh your God,

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

Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it. ⁿ

¹¹“But My people did not listen to Me;

Israel did not obey Me. ^o

¹²So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts

to follow their own plans. ^p

¹³If only My people would listen to Me

and Israel would follow My ways, ^q

¹⁴I would quickly subdue their enemies

and turn My hand against their foes.” ^r

¹⁵Those who hate the Lord

would pretend submission to Him; ^s

their doom would last forever. ^t

¹⁶But He would feed Israel ^uwith the best wheat.

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

Psalm 82

A Plea for Righteous Judgment

A psalm of Asaph. ^w

¹God has taken His place in the divine assembly;

He judges among the gods: ^xy

²“How long will you judge unjustly

and show partiality to the wicked? ^zSelah

³Provide justice for the needy and the fatherless;

uphold the rights of the oppressed and the destitute. ^a

⁴Rescue the poor and needy;

save them from the power of the wicked.” ^b

⁵They do not know or understand;

they wander in darkness. ^c

All the foundations of the earth are shaken. ^d

⁶I said, “You are gods; ^e

you are all sons of the Most High. ^f

⁷However, you will die like men

and fall like any other ruler.” ^g

⁸Rise up, God, judge the earth,

for all the nations belong to You. ^h

Psalm 83

Prayer against Enemies

A song. A psalm of Asaph. ⁱ

¹God, do not keep silent.

Do not be deaf, God; do not be idle. ^j

²See how Your enemies make an uproar;

those who hate You have acted arrogantly. ^kl

³They devise clever schemes against Your people;

they conspire against Your treasured ones. ^m

⁴They say, “Come, let us wipe them out as a nation

so that Israel’s name will no longer be remembered.” ⁿ

⁵For they have conspired with one mind;

they form an alliance ^oagainst You ^p—

⁶the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, ^q

Moab and the Hagrites, ^r

⁷Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek, ^s

Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre. ^t

⁸Even Assyria has joined them;

they lend support ^uto the sons of Lot. ^vwSelah

⁹Deal with them as You did with Midian, ^x

as You did with Sisera

and Jabin at the Kishon River. ^y

¹⁰They were destroyed at En-dor;

they became manure for the ground. ^z

¹¹Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb, ^a

and all their tribal leaders like Zebah and Zalmunna, ^b

¹²who said, “Let us seize God’s pastures for ourselves.” ^c

¹³Make them like tumbleweed, my God,

like straw before the wind. ^d

¹⁴As fire burns a forest,

as a flame blazes through mountains, ^e

¹⁵so pursue them with Your tempest

and terrify them with Your storm. ^f

¹⁶Cover their faces with shame

so that they will seek Your name Yahweh. ^g

¹⁷Let them be put to shame and terrified forever;

let them perish in disgrace. ^h

¹⁸May they know that You alone—

whose name is Yahweh—

are the Most High over all the earth. ⁱ