Psalm 81³⁵

For the music director; according to the gittith style;³⁶ by Asaph
81:1 Shout for joy to God, our source of strength!
Shout out to the God of Jacob!
81:2 Sing¹ a song and play the tambourine,
the pleasant sounding harp, and the ten-stringed instrument!
81:3 Sound the ram’s horn on the day of the new moon,²
and on the day of the full moon when our festival begins.³
81:4 For observing the festival is a requirement for Israel,⁴
it is an ordinance given by the God of Jacob.
81:5 He decreed it as a regulation in Joseph,
when he attacked the land of Egypt.⁵
I heard a voice I did not recognize.⁶
81:6 It said:⁷ “I removed the burden from his shoulder,
his hands were released from holding the basket.⁸
81:7 In your distress you called out and I rescued you.
I answered you from a dark thundercloud.⁹
I tested you at the waters of Meribah.¹⁰ (Selah)
81:8 I said,¹¹ ‘Listen, my people!
I will warn¹² you!
O Israel, if only you would obey me!¹³
81:9 There must be¹⁴ no other¹⁵ god among you.
You must not worship a foreign god.
81:10 I am the LORD, your God,
the one who brought you out of the land of Egypt.
Open your mouth wide and I will fill it!’
81:11 But my people did not obey me,¹⁶
Israel did not submit to me.¹⁷
81:12 I gave them over to their stubborn desires,¹⁸
they did what seemed right to them.¹⁹
81:13 If only my people would obey me,²⁰
and Israel would keep my commands!²¹
81:14 Then I would quickly subdue their enemies,
and attack²² their adversaries.”
81:15 (May those who hate the LORD²³ cower in fear²⁴ before him!
May they be permanently humiliated!)²⁵
81:16 “I would feed Israel the best wheat,²⁶
and would satisfy your appetite²⁷ with honey from the rocky cliffs.”²⁸