1To the choirmaster: according to The Gittith.[1] Of Asaph. Sing aloud to God our strength; shout for joy to the God of Jacob! (De 32:43; Ps 8:1; Ps 50:1; Ps 66:1; Ps 84:1)2Raise a song; sound the tambourine, the sweet lyre with the harp. (Ex 15:20; Ps 71:22)3Blow the trumpet at the new moon, at the full moon, on our feast day. (Le 23:24; Nu 10:10; Nu 29:1)4For it is a statute for Israel, a rule[2] of the God of Jacob.5He made it a decree in Joseph when he went out over[3] the land of Egypt. I hear a language I had not known: (Ex 11:4; De 28:49; Ps 77:15; Ps 78:5; Ps 78:67; Ps 80:1; Ps 114:1; Ps 122:4; Jer 5:15)6“I relieved your[4] shoulder of the burden; your hands were freed from the basket. (Ex 1:11; Isa 9:4; Isa 10:27)7In distress you called, and I delivered you; I answered you in the secret place of thunder; I tested you at the waters of Meribah. (Ex 2:23; Ex 14:10; Ex 17:7; Ex 19:19; Nu 20:13; Ps 18:11; Ps 50:15)8Hear, O my people, while I admonish you! O Israel, if you would but listen to me! (Ps 50:7)9There shall be no strange god among you; you shall not bow down to a foreign god. (Ex 20:3; De 32:12; Ps 44:20; Isa 43:12)10I am the Lord your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it. (Ex 20:2; Ps 37:3)11“But my people did not listen to my voice; Israel would not submit to me. (Ex 32:1; De 32:15; De 32:18; Pr 1:25; Pr 1:30)12So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts, to follow their own counsels. (De 29:19; Job 8:4; Ps 106:43; Jer 7:24; Mic 6:16; Ac 7:42; Ac 14:16; Ro 1:24; Ro 1:26)13Oh, that my people would listen to me, that Israel would walk in my ways! (De 5:29; De 5:33; De 32:29; Isa 48:18)14I would soon subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes. (Am 1:8)15Those who hate the Lord would cringe toward him, and their fate would last forever. (Ps 18:44)16But he would feed you[5] with the finest of the wheat, and with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.” (De 32:13; De 32:14; Job 29:6; Ps 147:14; Eze 16:19)
Psalm 81
New International Version
For the director of music. According to gittith. Of Asaph.
1Sing for joy to God our strength; shout aloud to the God of Jacob![1]2Begin the music, strike the tambourine, play the melodious harp and lyre.3Sound the ram’s horn at the New Moon, and when the moon is full, on the day of our Feast;4this is a decree for Israel, an ordinance of the God of Jacob.5When God went out against Egypt, he established it as a statute for Joseph. I heard an unknown voice say:6‘I removed the burden from their shoulders; their hands were set free from the basket.7In your distress you called and I rescued you, I answered you out of a thundercloud; I tested you at the waters of Meribah.[2]8Hear me, my people, and I will warn you – if you would only listen to me, Israel!9You shall have no foreign god among you; you shall not worship any god other than me.10I am the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt. Open wide your mouth and I will fill it.11‘But my people would not listen to me; Israel would not submit to me.12So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices.13‘If my people would only listen to me, if Israel would only follow my ways,14how quickly I would subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes!15Those who hate the Lord would cringe before him, and their punishment would last for ever.16But you would be fed with the finest of wheat; with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.’
Psalm 81
King James Version
1To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm of Asaph. Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob.2Take a psalm, and bring hither the timbrel, the pleasant harp with the psaltery.3Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day.4For this was a statute for Israel, and a law of the God of Jacob.5This 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.6I removed his shoulder from the burden: his hands were delivered from the pots.7Thou 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.8Hear, O my people, and I will testify unto thee: O Israel, if thou wilt hearken unto me;9There shall no strange god be in thee; neither shalt thou worship any strange god.10I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.11But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me.12So I gave them up unto their own hearts'lust: and they walked in their own counsels.13Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways!14I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries.15The haters of the LORD should have submitted themselves unto him: but their time should have endured for ever.16He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat: and with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee.
Psalm 81
New International Reader’s Version
For the director of music. According to gittith. A psalm of Asaph.
1Sing joyfully to God! He gives us strength. Give a loud shout to the God of Jacob!2Let the music begin. Play the tambourines. Play sweet music on harps and lyres.3Blow the ram’s horn on the day of the New Moon feast. Blow it again when the moon is full and the Feast of Booths begins.4This is an order given to Israel. It is a law of the God of Jacob.5He gave it as a covenant law for the people of Joseph. It was given when God went out to punish Egypt. There I heard a voice I didn’t recognise.6The voice said, ‘I removed the load from your shoulders. I set your hands free from carrying heavy baskets.7You called out when you were in trouble, and I saved you. I answered you out of a thundercloud. I tested you at the waters of Meribah.8‘My people, listen and I will warn you. Israel, I wish you would listen to me!9Don’t have anything to do with the gods of other nations. Don’t bow down and worship any god other than me.10I am the LORD your God. I brought you up out of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it with good things.11‘But my people wouldn’t listen to me. Israel wouldn’t obey me.12So I let them go their own stubborn way. I let them follow their own sinful plans.13‘I wish my people would listen to me! I wish Israel would live as I want them to live!14Then I would quickly bring their enemies under control. I would use my power against their attackers.15Those who hate me would bow down to me in fear. They would be punished for ever.16But you would be fed with the finest wheat. I would satisfy you with the sweetest honey.’