Psalm 81

A Song for a Holiday

For the director of music. By the gittith. A psalm of Asaph.

81Sing for joy to God, our strength;

shout out loud to the God of Jacob.

²Begin the music. Play the tambourines.

Play pleasant music on the harps and lyres.

³Blow the trumpet at the time of the New Moon,

when the moon is full, when our feast begins.

⁴This is the law for Israel;

it is the command of the God of Jacob.

⁵He gave this rule to the people of Joseph

when they went out of the land of Egypt.

I heard a language I did not know, saying:

⁶“I took the load off their shoulders;

I let them put down their baskets.

⁷When you were in trouble, you called, and I saved you.

I answered you with thunder.

I tested you at the waters of Meribah.

Selah

⁸My people, listen. I am warning you.

Israel, please listen to me!

⁹You must not have foreign gods;

you must not worship any false god.

¹⁰I, the Lord, am your God,

who brought you out of Egypt.

Open your mouth and I will feed you.

¹¹“But my people did not listen to me;

Israel did not want me.

¹²So I let them go their stubborn way

and follow their own advice.

¹³I wish my people would listen to me;

I wish Israel would live my way.

¹⁴Then I would quickly defeat their enemies

and turn my hand against their foes.

¹⁵Those who hate the Lord would bow before him.

Their punishment would continue forever.

¹⁶But I would give you the finest wheat

and fill you with honey from the rocks.”