Psa 81 | HCSB | STEP | For the choir director : on the Gittith . Of Asaph . Sing for joy to God our strength ; shout in triumph to the God of Jacob .

Psalms 81

A Call to Obedience

1 For the choir director: on the ^{▼▼Gittith: Perhaps an instrument, musical term, tune from Gath, or song for the grape harvest}Gittith. Of ^{▼▼Asaph: A musician appointed by David to oversee the music used in worship at the Temple; 12 psalms are attributed to Asaph.}Asaph. ^c

Sing for joy to God our strength;
shout in triumph to the God of Jacob. ^d
2 Lift up a song – play the tambourine,
the melodious lyre, and the harp. ^e
3 Blow the horn on the day of our feasts ^{▼▼Lit feast
,} ^{▼▼Either Passover or Tabernacles}
during the new moon ^h
and during the full moon.
4 For this is a statute for Israel,
a judgment of the God of Jacob. ⁱ
5 He set it up as an ordinance for Joseph
when He went throughout ^{▼▼LXX, Syr, Jer read out of} the land of Egypt. ^k

I heard an unfamiliar language:
6 “I relieved his shoulder from the burden;
his hands were freed from carrying the basket. ^l
7 You called out in distress, and I rescued you;
I answered you from the thundercloud. ^m
I tested you at the waters of Meribah. ^{n
,} ^{▼▼Selah: A Hebrew word whose meaning is uncertain; various interpretations include: (1) a musical notation, (2) a pause for silence, (3) a signal for worshipers to fall prostrate on the ground, (4) a term for the worshipers to call out, and (5) a word meaning "forever"}
Selah

8 Listen, My people, and I will admonish you.
Israel, if you would only listen to Me! ^p
9 There must not be a strange god among you;
you must not bow down to a foreign god. ^q
10 I am ^{▼▼Yahweh/Yah: Or The Lord; the personal name of God in Hebrew; "Yah" is the shortened form of the name.}Yahweh your God,
who brought you up from the land of Egypt. ^s
Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it. ^t

11 “But My people did not listen to Me;
Israel did not obey Me. ^u
12 So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts
to follow their own plans. ^v
13 If only My people would listen to Me
and Israel would follow My ways, ^w
14 I would quickly subdue their enemies
and turn My hand against their foes.” ^x
15 Those who hate the Lord
would pretend submission to Him; ^y
their doom would last forever. ^z
16 But He would feed Israel ^{▼▼Lit him} with the best wheat.
“I would satisfy you with honey from the rock.” ^ab