Psalms 81

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

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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;

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.

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.

10(not in this translation)

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

11(not in this translation)

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

12(not in this translation)

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

13(not in this translation)

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

14(not in this translation)

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

15(not in this translation)

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

16(not in this translation)