81
To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm of Asaph.
1 Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob.*
2 Take a psalm, and bring hither the timbrel, the pleasant harp with the psaltery.
3 Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day.
4 For this was a statute for Israel, and a law of the God of Jacob.
5 This 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.†
6 I removed his shoulder from the burden: his hands were delivered from the pots.‡
7 Thou 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.§
8 Hear, O my people, and I will testify unto thee: O Israel, if thou wilt hearken unto me;
9 There shall no strange god be in thee; neither shalt thou worship any strange god.
10 I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.
11 But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me.
12 So I gave them up unto their own hearts’ lust: and they walked in their own counsels.**
13 Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways!
14 I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries.
15 The haters of the LORD should have submitted themselves unto him: but their time should have endured for ever.††
16 He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat: and with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee.‡‡
* 81:1 of Asaph: or, for Asaph † 81:5 through: or, against ‡ 81:6 were…: Heb. passed away § 81:7 Meribah: or, Strife ** 81:12 unto…: or, to the hardness of their hearts, or, imagination †† 81:15 submitted…: or, yielded feigned obedience: Heb. lied ‡‡ 81:16 finest…: Heb. fat of wheat