Psalm 81
A psalm written by Asaph for the choir director
1 Sing songs to praise God, who enables us to be strong when we fight our enemies;
shout joyfully to God, whom we descendants of Jacob worship!
2 Start playing the music, and beat the tambourines;
play nice music on the harps and lyres.
3 Blow the trumpets during the festival to celebrate each new moon,
each time the moon is full, and during our other festivals.
4 Do that because that is a decree for us Israelite people;
it is a command that God made for the descendants of Jacob.
5 He made it a law at the time when God led the descendants of Joseph out of the land of Egypt.
I heard a voice I did not recognize, and it said:
6 “After the rulers of Egypt forced you Israelites to work as slaves,
I took those heavy burdens off your backs,
and I enabled you to lay down those heavy baskets of bricks that you were carrying.
7 When you were greatly distressed, you called out to me, and I rescued you;
I answered you out of a thundercloud.
Later I tested whether you would trust me to give you water when you were in the desert at Meribah.
8 You who are my people, listen while I warn you!
I wish that you Israelite people would pay attention to what I say to you!
9 You must not have any idols of other gods among you;
you must never bow to worship any of them!
10 I am Yahweh, your God;
It was not any of those gods who brought you out of Egypt;
I am the one who did it!
So request what you want me to do for you, and I will do it.
11 But my people would not listen to me;
they would not obey me.
12 So because they were very stubborn,
I allowed them to do whatever they wanted to do.
13 I wish that my people would listen to me,
that the Israelite people would behave as I want them to do.
14 If they did that, I would quickly defeat their enemies;
I would strike dead those who are oppressing them.
15 Then all those who hate me would cringe before me,
and then I would punish them forever.
16 But I would give you Israelites very good wheat,
and I would fill your stomachs with wild honey.”