Psalms 81

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

6I have said: You are gods and all of you the sons of the most High.

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.

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.)

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

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

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

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

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

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

9(not in this translation)

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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.

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

16(not in this translation)