Psalm 81

Psalm 81

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

¹Sing joyfully to God! He gives us strength.

Give a loud shout to the God of Jacob!

²Let the music begin. Play the tambourines.

Play sweet music on harps and lyres.

³Blow the ram’s horn on the day of the New Moon Feast.

Blow it again when the moon is full and the Feast of Booths begins.

⁴This is an order given to Israel.

It is a law of the God of Jacob.

⁵He gave it as a covenant law for the people of Joseph

when God went out to punish Egypt.

There we heard a language we didn’t understand.

⁶God said, “I removed the load from your shoulders.

I set your hands free from carrying heavy baskets.

⁷You called out when you were in trouble, and I saved you.

I answered you out of a thundercloud.

I put you to the test at the waters of Meribah. Selah

⁸“My people, listen and I will warn you.

Israel, I wish you would listen to me!

⁹Don’t have anything to do with the gods of other nations.

Don’t bow down and worship strange gods.

¹⁰I am the Lord your God.

I brought you up out of Egypt.

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

¹¹“But my people wouldn’t listen to me.

Israel wouldn’t obey me.

¹²So I let them go their own stubborn way.

I let them follow their own sinful plans.

¹³“I wish my people would listen to me!

I wish Israel would live as I want them to live!

¹⁴Then I would quickly bring their enemies under control.

I would use my power against their attackers.

¹⁵Those who hate me would bow down to me in fear.

They would be punished forever.

¹⁶But you would be fed with the finest wheat.

I would satisfy you with the sweetest honey.”