Psalms 81 — AAB

Sing for Joy to God Our Strength

For the choirmaster. According to Gittith.⁺Of Asaph.

81Verse 1Sing for joy to God our strength;make a joyful noise to the God of Jacob.^{Verse 2}Lift up a song, strike the tambourine,play the sweet-sounding harp and lyre.^{Verse 3}Sound the ram’s horn at the New Moon,and at the full moon on the day of our Feast.^{Verse 4}For this is a statute for Israel,an ordinance of the God of Jacob.^{Verse 5}He ordained it as a testimony for Joseph⁺when he went out over the land of Egypt,
where I heard an unfamiliar language:^{Verse 6}“I relieved his shoulder of the burden;his hands were freed from the basket.^{Verse 7}You called out in distress, and I rescued you;I answered you from the cloud of thunder;
I tested you at the waters of Meribah.⁺Selah^{Verse 8}Hear, O My people, and I will warn you:O Israel, if only you would listen to Me!^{Verse 9}There must be no strange god among you,nor shall you bow to a foreign god.^{Verse 10}I am the LORD your God,who brought you up out of Egypt.Open wide your mouth,and I will fill it.^{Verse 11}But My people would not listen to Me,and Israel would not obey Me.^{Verse 12}So I gave them up to their stubborn heartsto follow their own devices.^{Verse 13}If only My people would listen to Me,if Israel would follow My ways,^{Verse 14}how soon I would subdue their enemiesand turn My hand against their foes!^{Verse 15}Those who hate the LORD would feign obedience,and their doom would last forever.^{Verse 16}But I would feed you the finest wheat;with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”