Psalms 81

לַמְנַצֵּ֬חַ ׀ עַֽל־הַגִּתִּ֬ית לְאָסָֽף׃

הַ֭רְנִינוּ לֵאלֹהִ֣ים עוּזֵּ֑נוּ הָ֝רִ֗יעוּ לֵאלֹהֵ֥י יַעֲקֹֽב׃

For the choirmaster. According to Gittith. Of Asaph. Sing for joy to God our strength; make a joyful noise to the God of Jacob.

To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm of Asaph.

Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob.

שְֽׂאוּ־זִ֭מְרָה וּתְנוּ־תֹ֑ף כִּנּ֖וֹר נָעִ֣ים עִם־נָֽבֶל׃

Lift up a song, strike the tambourine, play the sweet-sounding harp and lyre.

Take a psalm, and bring hither the timbrel, the pleasant harp with the psaltery.

תִּקְע֣וּ בַחֹ֣דֶשׁ שׁוֹפָ֑ר בַּ֝כֵּ֗סֶה לְי֣וֹם חַגֵּֽנוּ׃

Sound the ram’s horn at the New Moon, and at the full moon on the day of our Feast.

Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day.

כִּ֤י חֹ֣ק לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל ה֑וּא מִ֝שְׁפָּ֗ט לֵאלֹהֵ֥י יַעֲקֹֽב׃

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

For this was a statute for Israel, and a law of the God of Jacob.

עֵ֤דוּת ׀ בִּֽיה֘וֹסֵ֤ף שָׂמ֗וֹ בְּ֭צֵאתוֹ עַל־אֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם שְׂפַ֖ת לֹא־יָדַ֣עְתִּי אֶשְׁמָֽע׃

He ordained it as a testimony for Joseph when he went out over the land of Egypt, where I heard an unfamiliar language:

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.

הֲסִיר֣וֹתִי מִסֵּ֣בֶל שִׁכְמ֑וֹ כַּ֝פָּ֗יו מִדּ֥וּד תַּעֲבֹֽרְנָה׃

“I relieved his shoulder of the burden; his hands were freed from the basket.

I removed his shoulder from the burden: his hands were delivered from the pots.

בַּצָּרָ֥ה קָרָ֗אתָ וָאֲחַ֫לְּצֶ֥ךָּ אֶ֭עֶנְךָ בְּסֵ֣תֶר רַ֑עַם אֶבְחָֽנְךָ֨ עַל־מֵ֖י מְרִיבָ֣ה סֶֽלָה׃

You called out in distress, and I rescued you; I answered you from the cloud of thunder; I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah

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.

שְׁמַ֣ע עַ֭מִּי וְאָעִ֣ידָה בָּ֑ךְ יִ֝שְׂרָאֵ֗ל אִם־תִּֽשְׁמַֽע־לִֽי׃

Hear, O My people, and I will warn you: O Israel, if only you would listen to Me!

Hear, O my people, and I will testify unto thee: O Israel, if thou wilt hearken unto me;

לֹֽא־יִהְיֶ֣ה בְ֭ךָ אֵ֣ל זָ֑ר וְלֹ֥א תִ֝שְׁתַּחֲוֶ֗ה לְאֵ֣ל נֵכָֽר׃

There must be no strange god among you, nor shall you bow to a foreign god.

There shall no strange god be in thee; neither shalt thou worship any strange god.

אָנֹכִ֨י ׀ יְה֘וָ֤ה אֱלֹהֶ֗יךָ הַֽ֭מַּעַלְךָ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם הַרְחֶב־פִּ֝֗יךָ וַאֲמַלְאֵֽהוּ׃

I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of Egypt. Open wide your mouth, and I will fill it.

I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.

וְלֹא־שָׁמַ֣ע עַמִּ֣י לְקוֹלִ֑י וְ֝יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל לֹא־אָ֥בָה לִֽי׃

But My people would not listen to Me, and Israel would not obey Me.

But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me.

וָֽ֭אֲשַׁלְּחֵהוּ בִּשְׁרִיר֣וּת לִבָּ֑ם יֵ֝לְכ֗וּ בְּֽמוֹעֲצוֹתֵיהֶֽם׃

So I gave them up to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices.

So I gave them up unto their own hearts’ lust: and they walked in their own counsels.

ל֗וּ עַ֭מִּי שֹׁמֵ֣עַֽ לִ֑י יִ֝שְׂרָאֵ֗ל בִּדְרָכַ֥י יְהַלֵּֽכוּ׃

If only My people would listen to Me, if Israel would follow My ways,

Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways!

כִּ֭מְעַט אוֹיְבֵיהֶ֣ם אַכְנִ֑יעַ וְעַ֥ל צָ֝רֵיהֶ֗ם אָשִׁ֥יב יָדִֽי׃

how soon I would subdue their enemies and turn My hand against their foes!

I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries.

מְשַׂנְאֵ֣י יְ֭הוָה יְכַֽחֲשׁוּ־ל֑וֹ וִיהִ֖י עִתָּ֣ם לְעוֹלָֽם׃

Those who hate the LORD would feign obedience, and their doom would last forever.

The haters of the LORD should have submitted themselves unto him: but their time should have endured for ever.

וַֽ֭יַּאֲכִילֵהוּ מֵחֵ֣לֶב חִטָּ֑ה וּ֝מִצּ֗וּר דְּבַ֣שׁ אַשְׂבִּיעֶֽךָ׃

But I would feed you the finest wheat; with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”

He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat: and with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee.