PSALM 81

To the Chief Musician upon Gittith. Of Asaph

1 Exult to God our strength: Shout for joy to the God of Jacob.

2 Take a song, and bring forth the timbrel, The harp of pleasantness with the nablum. ¹

3 Sound the trumpet ² at the new moon; At the time appointed on the day of our sacrifice.

4 For a statute to Israel is this, A judgment to the God of Jacob.

5 For a testimony in Joseph he set it, When he went forth over the land of Egypt! A language which I understood not I heard.

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

7 "In trouble thou didst cry, and I rescued thee: "I answered thee in the secret place of thunder: "I proved thee at the waters of Meribah. Selah.

8 "Hear, O my people! and I will protest to thee: "O Israel! if thou wilt hearken to me.

9 "Let there not be in thee a strange god: "Neither worship thou a foreign god.

10 "I am Jehovah thy God, "Who brought thee out of the land of Egypt: "Open wide thy mouth, and I will fill it.

11 "But my people hearkened not to my voice, "And Israel would have none of me.

12 "And I gave them up to the hardness of their heart: "They shall walk in their own counsels.

13 "O if my people had hearkened to me! "If Israel in my ways had walked!

14 "Soon their enemies I would have brought low, "And against their adversaries I would have turned my hand:

15 "The haters of Jehovah would have lied to him, "And their time should have been for ever:

16 "And I would have fed them with the fat of corn: "And from the rock with honey I would have satisfied thee."