Psalm 81:1–16

¹Sing for joy to God our strength;

shout aloud to the God of Jacob!^p

²Begin the music, strike the timbrel,^q

play the melodious harp^r and lyre.^s

³Sound the ram’s horn^t at the New Moon,^u

and when the moon is full, on the day of our festival;

⁴this is a decree for Israel,

an ordinance of the God of Jacob.^v

⁵When God went out against Egypt,^w

he established it as a statute for Joseph.

I heard an unknown voice say:^x

⁶“I removed the burden^y from their shoulders;^z

their hands were set free from the basket.

⁷In your distress you called^a and I rescued you,

I answered^b you out of a thundercloud;

I tested you at the waters of Meribah.^cc

⁸Hear me, my people,^d and I will warn you—

if you would only listen to me, Israel!

⁹You shall have no foreign god^e among you;

you shall not worship any god other than me.

¹⁰I am the Lord your God,

who brought you up out of Egypt.^f

Open^g wide your mouth and I will fill^h it.

¹¹“But my people would not listen to me;

Israel would not submit to me.ⁱ

¹²So I gave them over^j to their stubborn hearts

to follow their own devices.

¹³“If my people would only listen to me,^k

if Israel would only follow my ways,

¹⁴how quickly I would subdue^l their enemies

and turn my hand against^m their foes!

¹⁵Those who hate the Lord would cringeⁿ before him,

and their punishment would last forever.

¹⁶But you would be fed with the finest of wheat;^o

with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”