Psalms 81

An Appeal from God to Israel

For the music director; on the Gittith. Of Asaph. ▼
▼The Hebrew Bible counts the superscription as the first verse of the psalm; the English verse number is reduced by one

1Shout out to God our strength;
shout joyfully to the God of Jacob.
2Lift up a song and strike ▼
▼Hebrew “give”
 the tambourine,
the pleasant lyre, together with the harp.
3Blow the horn at new moon,
at full moon, for our feast day,
4because it is a statute for Israel,
an ordinance of the God of Jacob.
5He made it a statute ▼
▼Hebrew “testimony” or “witness”
 in Joseph
when he went out against the land of Egypt,
where I heard a language I did not know. ▼
▼The meaning of this line is uncertain. The above is based on perhaps a similar thought in Psa 114:1
6“I removed his shoulder from a burden.
His hands were freed from the basket.
7In this ▼
▼Hebrew “the”
 trouble you called, and I rescued you.
Within the secret place of thunder I answered you;
I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah
8Hear, O my people, and I will admonish you;
O Israel, if you would but listen to me.
9There shall be no strange god among you,
and you shall not bow down to a foreign god.
10I am Yahweh your God,
who brought you up from the land of Egypt.
Open wide your mouth and I will fill it.
11But my people did not listen to my voice,
and Israel did not yield to me.
12So I let them ▼
▼Hebrew “him”
 go in the stubbornness of their heart;
they walked in their counsels.
13Oh that my people would listen to me;
that Israel would walk in my ways.
14I would subdue their enemies quickly,
and turn my hand against their adversaries.
15Those who hate Yahweh would cringe before him,
and their fate ▼
▼Hebrew “time”
 would be forever.
16But he would feed him ▼
▼That is, Israel
 from the choicest wheat, ▼
▼Hebrew “the fat of wheat”

and I would satisfy you with honey from a rock.”
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