Psalms 81

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[1]An exhortation to a solemn praising of God. [4]God challengeth that duty by reason of his benefits. [8]God, exhorting his people to obedience, complaineth of their disobedience, which proveth their own hurt.

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.

Metrical version

Psalm 81

C.M. St. Anne

Sing loud to God our strength; with joy
to Jacob's God do sing.
Take up a psalm, the pleasant harp,
timbrel and psalt'ry bring.

Blow trumpets at new-moon, what day
our feast appointed is:
For charge to Isr'el, and a law
of Jacob's God was this.

To Joseph this a test'mony
he made, when Egypt land
He travelled through, where speech I heard
I did not understand.

His shoulder I from burdens took,
his hands from pots did free.
Thou didst in trouble on me call,
and I delivered thee:

In secret place of thundering
I did thee answer make;
And at the streams of Meribah
of thee a proof did take.

O thou, my people, give an ear,
I'll testify to thee;
To thee, O Isr'el, if thou wilt
but hearken unto me.

In midst of thee there shall not be
any strange god at all;
Nor unto any god unknown
thou bowing down shalt fall.

I am the LORD thy God, which did
from Egypt land thee guide;
I'll fill thy mouth abundantly,
do thou it open wide.

But yet my people to my voice
would not attentive be;
And ev'n my chosen Israel
he would have none of me.

So to the lust of their own hearts
I them delivered;
And then in counsels of their own
they vainly wandered.

O that my people had me heard,
Isr'el my ways had chose!
I had their en'mies soon subdued,
my hand turned on their foes.

The haters of the LORD to him
submission should have feigned;
But as for them, their time should have
for evermore remained.

He should have also fed them with
the finest of the wheat;
Of honey from the rock thy fill
I should have made thee eat.