Psalms 81 AMPC

1. SING ALOUD to God our Strength! Shout for joy to the God of Jacob!

2. Raise a song, sound the timbrel, the sweet lyre with the harp.

3. Blow the trumpet at the New Moon, at the full moon, on our feast day.

4. For this is a statute for Israel, an ordinance of the God of Jacob.

5. This He ordained in Joseph [the savior] for a testimony when He went out over the land of Egypt. The speech of One Whom I knew not did I hear [saying],

6. I removed his shoulder from the burden; his hands were freed from the basket.

7. You called in distress and I delivered you; I answered you in the secret place of thunder; I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! [Num. 20:3, 13, 24.]

8. Hear, O My people, and I will admonish you–O Israel, if you would listen to Me!

9. There shall no strange god be among you, neither shall you worship any alien god.

10. I am the Lord your God, Who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide and I will fill it.

11. But My people would not hearken to My voice, and Israel would have none of Me.

12. So I gave them up to their own hearts' lust and let them go after their own stubborn will, that they might follow their own counsels. [Acts 7:42, 43; 14:16; Rom. 1:24, 26.]

13. Oh, that My people would listen to Me, that Israel would walk in My ways!

14. Speedily then I would subdue their enemies and turn My hand against their adversaries.

15. [Had Israel listened to Me in Egypt, then] those who hated the Lord would have come cringing before Him, and their defeat would have lasted forever.

16. [God] would feed [Israel now] also with the finest of the wheat; and with honey out of the rock would I satisfy you.