Psalms 81

Psalm 81

Oh That My People Would Listen to Me

For the choir director. According to the Gittith. Of Asaph.

1Sing for joy to God our strength;
Make a loud shout to the God of Jacob.
2Lift up a song of praise, strike the tambourine,
The sweet sounding lyre with the harp.
3Blow the trumpet at the new moon,
At the full moon, on our feast day.
4For it is a statute for Israel,
A judgment of the God of Jacob.
5He established it for a testimony in Joseph
When he went forth over the land of Egypt.
I heard a language that I did not know:
6“I ▼

▼Lit removed his shoulder from

relieved his shoulder of the burden,
His hands were freed from the ▼

▼Or brick load

basket.
7“You called in distress and I rescued you;
I answered you in the hiding place of thunder;
I tested you at the waters of Meribah. ▼

▼Selah may mean Pause, Crescendo, Musical Interlude

Selah.
8“Hear, O My people, and I will testify against you;
O Israel, if you would listen to Me!
9“Let there be no strange god among you;
And you shall not worship a foreign god.
10“I am Yahweh your God,
Who brought you up from the land of Egypt;
Open your mouth wide and I will fill it.
11“But My people did not listen to My voice,
And Israel was not willing to obey Me.
12“So I released ▼

▼Lit him

them over to the stubbornness of their heart,
That they would walk in their own devices.
13“Oh that My people would listen to Me,
That Israel would walk in My ways!
14“I would quickly subdue their enemies
And I would turn My hand against their adversaries.
15“Those who hate Yahweh would cower before Him,
And their time of punishment would be forever.
16“ ▼

▼Lit He would feed him

But I would feed you with the ▼

▼Lit fat

finest of the wheat,
And with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”