Psalm 81

PSALM 81

God’s Goodness and Israel’s Waywardness.

For the choir director; †on the Gittith. A Psalm of Asaph.

1 aSing for joy to God our bstrength;

Shout cjoyfully to the dGod of Jacob.

2 Raise a song, strike athe timbrel,

The sweet sounding blyre with the charp.

3 Blow the trumpet at the anew moon,

At the full moon, on our bfeast day.

4 For it is a statute for Israel,

An ordinance of the God of Jacob.

5 He established it for a testimony in Joseph

When he 1awent throughout the land of Egypt.

I heard a blanguage that I did not know:

6 “I 1arelieved his shoulder of the burden,

His hands were freed from the 2basket.

7 “You acalled in trouble and I rescued you;

I banswered you in the hiding place of thunder;

I proved you at the cwaters of Meribah.

1Selah.

8 “aHear, O My people, and I will 1admonish you;

O Israel, if you bwould listen to Me!

9 “Let there be no astrange god among you;

Nor shall you worship any foreign god.

10 “aI, the Lord, am your God,

Who brought you up from the land of Egypt;

bOpen your mouth wide and I will cfill it.

11 “But My people adid not listen to My voice,

And Israel did not 1obey Me.

12 “So I agave 1them over to the stubbornness of their heart,

To walk in their own devices.

13 “Oh that My people awould listen to Me,

That Israel would bwalk in My ways!

14 “I would quickly asubdue their enemies

And bturn My hand against their adversaries.

15 “aThose who hate the Lord would bpretend obedience to Him,

And their time of punishment would be forever.

16 “1But I would feed you with the 2afinest of the wheat,

And with bhoney from the rock I would satisfy you.”