Psalms 81

₁Shout for joy to God our defender;

sing praise to the God of Jacob!

₂Start the music and beat the tambourines;

play pleasant music on the harps and the lyres.

₃Blow the trumpet for the festival,

when the moon is new and when the moon is full.

₄This is the law in Israel,

an order from the God of Jacob.

₅He gave it to the people of Israel

when he attacked the land of Egypt.

I hear an unknown voice saying,

₆“I took the burdens off your backs;

I let you put down your loads of bricks.

₇When you were in trouble, you called to me, and I saved you.

From my hiding place in the storm, I answered you.

I put you to the test at the springs of Meribah.

₈Listen, my people, to my warning;

Israel, how I wish you would listen to me!

₉You must never worship another god.

₁₀I am the LORD your God,

who brought you out of Egypt.

Open your mouth, and I will feed you.

₁₁“But my people would not listen to me;

Israel would not obey me.

₁₂So I let them go their stubborn ways

and do whatever they wanted.

₁₃How I wish my people would listen to me;

how I wish they would obey me!

₁₄I would quickly defeat their enemies

and conquer all their foes.

₁₅Those who hate me would bow in fear before me;

their punishment would last for ever.

₁₆But I would feed you with the finest wheat

and satisfy you with wild honey.”