Psalms 81

1A psalm for Asaph. God hath stood in the congregation of gods: and being in the midst of them he judgeth gods.

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

2How long will you judge unjustly: and accept the persons of the wicked?

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

3Judge for the needy and fatherless: do justice to the humble and the poor.

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

4Rescue the poor; and deliver the needy out of the hand of the sinner.

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

5They have not known nor understood: they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth shall be moved.

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 have said: You are gods and all of you the sons of the most High.

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

7But you like men shall die: and shall fall like one of the princes.

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.

8Arise, O God, judge thou the earth: for thou shalt inherit among all the nations.

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

9(not in this translation)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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