Psalms 81

1 Make a song to God our strength: make a glad cry to the God of Jacob.

1Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob.

2Take up the melody, playing on an instrument of music, even on corded instruments.

2Take a psalm, and bring hither the timbrel, the pleasant harp with the psaltery.

3Let the horn be sounded in the time of the new moon, at the full moon, on our holy feast-day:

3Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day.

4For this is a rule for Israel, and a law of the God of Jacob.

4For this was a statute for Israel, and a law of the God of Jacob.

5He gave it to Joseph as a witness, when he went out over the land of Egypt; then the words of a strange tongue were sounding in my ears.

5This he ordained in Joseph for a testimony, when he went out through the land of Egypt: where I heard a language that I understood not.

6I took the weight from his back; his hands were made free from the baskets.

6I removed his shoulder from the burden: his hands were delivered from the pots.

7You gave a cry in your trouble, and I made you free; I gave you an answer in the secret place of the thunder; I put you to the test at the waters of Meribah. (Selah.)

7Thou calledst in trouble, and I delivered thee; I answered thee in the secret place of thunder: I proved thee at the waters of Meribah. Selah.

8Give ear, O my people, and I will give you my word, O Israel, if you will only do as I say!

8Hear, O my people, and I will testify unto thee: O Israel, if thou wilt hearken unto me;

9There is to be no strange god among you; you are not to give worship to any other god.

9There shall no strange god be in thee; neither shalt thou worship any strange god.

10I am the Lord your God, who took you up from the land of Egypt: let your mouth be open wide, so that I may give you food.

10I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.

11But my people did not give ear to my voice; Israel would have nothing to do with me.

11But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me.

12So I gave them up to the desires of their hearts; that they might go after their evil purposes.

12So I gave them up unto their own hearts’ lust: and they walked in their own counsels.

13If only my people would give ear to me, walking in my ways!

13Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways!

14I would quickly overcome their haters: my hand would be turned against those who make war on them.

14I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries.

15The haters of the Lord would be broken, and their destruction would be eternal.

15The haters of the Lord should have submitted themselves unto him: but their time should have endured for ever.

16I would give them the best grain for food; you would be full of honey from the rock.

16He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat: and with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee.