Psalm 81
O sing joyfully to God our strength
: shout in triumph to the God of Jacob.
Make music and beat upon the drum
: sound the lute and the melodious harp.
Blow the ram’s horn at the new moon
: and at the full moon of our day of festival.
For this was a statute for Israel
: a commandment of the God of Jacob,
Which he laid on Joseph as a solemn charge
: when he came out of the land of Egypt.
I heard a voice that I had not known, saying
: ‘I eased your shoulders of the burden,
and your hands were freed from the load.
‘You called to me in trouble, and I rescued you
: I answered you from the secret place of my thunder,
I put you to the test at the waters of Meribah.
‘Listen, my people, and I will admonish you
: O Israel, if only you would hear me.
‘There shall be no strange god among you
: nor shall you bow down to an alien god.
‘I am the Lord your God,
who brought you up from the land of Egypt
: open wide your mouth, and I will fill it.
‘But my people would not listen to my voice
: and Israel would have none of me.
‘So I left them to the stubbornness of their hearts
: to walk according to their own designs.
‘If only my people would listen
: if Israel would but walk in my ways,
‘I would soon put down their enemies
: and turn my hand against their adversaries.
‘Those that hate the Lord would cringe before him
: and their punishment would last for ever.
‘But Israel I would feed with the finest wheat
: and satisfy you with honey from the rocks.’