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The Holy Bible
The Book of Psalms
Psalm 81

  

God’s Heartfelt Appeal to Israel

For the director of music. According to ‘Gittith’. A Psalm of Asaph.

1SING for joy to God our strength;
shout with jubilation to the God of Jacob.

2 Lift up a song, sound the tambourine,
the melodious harp and the lyre.   3 Sound the ram’s horn at the New Moon,
and when the moon is full, on the day of our solemn feast, 4 For this is a statute for Israel,
an ordinance of the God of Jacob. 5 He established it for a testimony in Joseph,
when He went out against the land of Egypt.   I heard someone say in an unfamiliar language:   6 “I removed his shoulder from the burden;
his hands were freed from the basket. 7 You called out in your distress, and I delivered you;
I answered you in the secret place of thunder; I tested you at the waters of Meribah.  Selah   8 “Hear, O My people, and I will admonish you;
O Israel, if you would but listen to Me! 9 There must be no strange god among you;
you must not bow down to any foreign god. 10 I am the Lord your God,
who brought you out of the land of Egypt; open wide your mouth and I will fill it.   11 “But My people would not listen to My voice;
Israel would not submit to Me. 12 So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts,
to walk in their own devices.   13 “If only My people would listen to Me,
that Israel would walk in My ways! 14 I would soon subdue their enemies,
and turn My hand against their adversaries. 15 Those who hate the Lord would cringe before Him,
and their fate would last forever. 16 But I would feed you with the finest of wheat;
with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”