Psalm 81

¹Make a song to God our strength: make a glad cry to the God of Jacob.

²Take up the melody, playing on an instrument of music, even on corded instruments.

³Let the horn be sounded in the time of the new moon, at the full moon, on our holy feast-day:

⁴For this is a rule for Israel, and a law of the God of Jacob.

⁵He gave it to Joseph as a witness, when he went out over the land of Egypt; then the words of a strange tongue were sounding in my ears.

⁶I took the weight from his back; his hands were made free from the baskets.

⁷You gave a cry in your trouble, and I made you free; I gave you an answer in the secret place of the thunder; I put you to the test at the waters of Meribah. (Selah.)

⁸Give ear, O my people, and I will give you my word, O Israel, if you will only do as I say!

⁹There is to be no strange god among you; you are not to give worship to any other god.

¹⁰I am the Lord your God, who took you up from the land of Egypt: let your mouth be open wide, so that I may give you food.

¹¹But my people did not give ear to my voice; Israel would have nothing to do with me.

¹²So I gave them up to the desires of their hearts; that they might go after their evil purposes.

¹³If only my people would give ear to me, walking in my ways!

¹⁴I would quickly overcome their haters: my hand would be turned against those who make war on them.

¹⁵The haters of the Lord would be broken, and their destruction would be eternal.

¹⁶I would give them the best grain for food; you would be full of honey from the rock.