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Psalm 81

Asaph wrote this song for the music leader. Use special music.

God gives us strength ^{[ a ]}

81 Sing with joy to praise God!
He is the one who makes us strong!
Shout aloud to the God of Jacob. ^{[ b ]}
² Start the music! Beat your tambourines!
Make beautiful music on your harps and lyres.
³ Start the New Moon Festival
with the sound of the trumpet.
Also do it on the day of the Full Moon. ^{[ c ]}
⁴ This is a rule for Israel's people.
The God of Jacob commanded us to do it.
⁵ When God punished the land of Egypt,
he gave this rule to Joseph's family.
I heard a voice that I did not know.
⁶ It said: ‘I took the heavy load off your back.
You no longer had to carry those heavy baskets.
⁷ When you had trouble, you called to me for help
and I made you safe.
I answered your prayers
from the middle of the dark storm.
I tested you at Meribah,
when you had no water in the wilderness.
Selah.
⁸ I said, “My people, listen to me!
I warn you now.
Listen carefully to me, Israel's people!
⁹ There must not be any strange god among you.
You must never worship a foreign god.
¹⁰ I am the Lord , your God.
I brought you out of the land of Egypt.
Open your mouth wide,
and I will fill it with many good things.” ^{[ d ]}
¹¹ But my people refused to listen to me.
My people, Israel, did not obey me.
¹² So I let them follow their own proud ideas.
They could do whatever they wanted to do.
¹³ But my people should listen to me!
Yes, Israel should obey my commands!
¹⁴ Then I would quickly win against their enemies.
I would attack them all.’
¹⁵ (Then people who hate the Lord
would fall down with fear in front of him.
They would be ashamed for ever.)
¹⁶ ‘But I would feed you, my people, with the best wheat.
I would give you plenty of honey from the rock,
for you to eat and be full.’

Footnotes

81:1 This psalm was written to sing at a festival. It was probably the Festival of Huts. See Leviticus 23:33-43 .
81:1 ‘Jacob’ is another name for ‘Israel’, so ‘God of Jacob’ means Israel's God.
81:3 There were two festivals in October. The first one started when the moon was new. The second one started two weeks later, when the moon was full. The second one was the Feast of Huts.
81:10 Verses 8-10 tell us what God said to his people in the wilderness. He warned them to worship only him. He promised to feed them and give them everything that they needed, if they obeyed him.

To the director: On the gittith . One of Asaph’s songs.

81 Be happy and sing to God, our strength.
Shout with joy to the God of Jacob.
² Begin the music.
Play the tambourines.
Play the pleasant harps and lyres.
³ Blow the ram’s horn at the time of the new moon ^{[ a ]}
and at the time of the full moon, ^{[ b ]} when our festival begins.
⁴ This is the law for the people of Israel.
The God of Jacob gave the command.
⁵ God made this agreement with Joseph’s people,
when he led them out of Egypt.
In a language we didn’t understand, God said,
⁶ “I took the load from your shoulder.
I let you drop the worker’s basket.
⁷ When you were in trouble, you called for help, and I set you free.
I was hidden in the storm clouds, and I answered you.
I tested you by the water at Meribah. ^{[ c ]} ” Selah

⁸ “My people, I am warning you.
Israel, listen to me!
⁹ Don’t worship any of the false gods
that the foreigners worship.
¹⁰ I, the Lord , am your God.
I brought you out of Egypt.
Israel, open your mouth,
and I will feed you.

¹¹ “But my people did not listen to me.
Israel did not obey me.
¹² So I let them go their own stubborn way
and do whatever they wanted.
¹³ If my people would listen to me
and would live the way I want,
¹⁴ then I would defeat their enemies.
I would punish those who cause them trouble.
¹⁵ Those who hate the Lord would shake with fear.
They would be punished forever.
¹⁶ I would give the best wheat to my people.
I would give them the purest honey, until they were satisfied.”

Footnotes

Psalm 81:3 new moon The first day of the Hebrew month. There were special meetings on these days when the people shared fellowship offerings as part of their worship to God.
Psalm 81:3 full moon The middle of the Hebrew month. Many of the special meetings and festivals started at the time of a full moon.
Psalm 81:7 Meribah See Ex. 17:1-7.

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

² Take a psalm, and bring hither the timbrel, the pleasant harp with the psaltery.

³ Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day.

⁴ For this was a statute for Israel, and a law of the God of Jacob.

⁵ 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.

⁶ I removed his shoulder from the burden: his hands were delivered from the pots.

⁷ 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.

⁸ Hear, O my people, and I will testify unto thee: O Israel, if thou wilt hearken unto me;

⁹ There shall no strange god be in thee; neither shalt thou worship any strange god.

¹⁰ I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.

¹¹ But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me.

¹² So I gave them up unto their own hearts' lust: and they walked in their own counsels.

¹³ Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways!

¹⁴ I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries.

¹⁵ The haters of the Lord should have submitted themselves unto him: but their time should have endured for ever.

¹⁶ He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat: and with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee.

Psalm 81 ^{[ a ]}

For the director of music. According to gittith. ^{[ b ]} Of Asaph.

¹ Sing for joy to God our strength;
shout aloud to the God of Jacob! ^{( A )}
² Begin the music, strike the timbrel, ^{( B )}
play the melodious harp ^{( C )} and lyre. ^{( D )}

³ Sound the ram’s horn ^{( E )} at the New Moon, ^{( F )}
and when the moon is full, on the day of our festival;
⁴ this is a decree for Israel,
an ordinance of the God of Jacob. ^{( G )}
⁵ When God went out against Egypt, ^{( H )}
he established it as a statute for Joseph.

I heard an unknown voice say: ^{( I )}

⁶ “I removed the burden ^{( J )} from their shoulders; ^{( K )}
their hands were set free from the basket.
⁷ In your distress you called ^{( L )} and I rescued you,
I answered ^{( M )} you out of a thundercloud;
I tested you at the waters of Meribah. ^{[ c ]} ^{( N )}
⁸ Hear me, my people, ^{( O )} and I will warn you—
if you would only listen to me, Israel!
⁹ You shall have no foreign god ^{( P )} among you;
you shall not worship any god other than me.
¹⁰ I am the Lord your God,
who brought you up out of Egypt. ^{( Q )}
Open ^{( R )} wide your mouth and I will fill ^{( S )} it.

¹¹ “But my people would not listen to me;
Israel would not submit to me. ^{( T )}
¹² So I gave them over ^{( U )} to their stubborn hearts
to follow their own devices.

¹³ “If my people would only listen to me, ^{( V )}
if Israel would only follow my ways,
¹⁴ how quickly I would subdue ^{( W )} their enemies
and turn my hand against ^{( X )} their foes!
¹⁵ Those who hate the Lord would cringe ^{( Y )} before him,
and their punishment would last forever.
¹⁶ But you would be fed with the finest of wheat; ^{( Z )}
with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”

Footnotes

Psalm 81:1 In Hebrew texts 81:1-16 is numbered 81:2-17.
Psalm 81:1 Title: Probably a musical term
Psalm 81:7 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.

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Psalm 81

Asaph wrote this song for the music leader. Use special music.

God gives us strength ^{[ a ]}

Footnotes

To the director: On the gittith . One of Asaph’s songs.

Footnotes

God’s Goodness and Israel’s Waywardness.

For the music director; ^{[ a ]} on the Gittith. A Psalm of Asaph.

Footnotes

Cross references

Psalm 81 ^{[ a ]}

For the director of music. According to gittith. ^{[ b ]} Of Asaph.

Footnotes

Cross references

BibleStudyIt Psalm 81

Psalm 81's Chapter Tabs Scroll past these tabs to continue or click on one of them to navigate out of this webpage.

Scroll past these tabs to continue or click on one of them to navigate out of this webpage.

Read Chapter

Your Private Notes

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Psalm 81

Asaph wrote this song for the music leader. Use special music.

God gives us strength [ a ]

Footnotes

To the director: On the gittith . One of Asaph’s songs.

Footnotes

God’s Goodness and Israel’s Waywardness.

For the music director; [ a ] on the Gittith. A Psalm of Asaph.

Footnotes

Cross references

Psalm 81 [ a ]

For the director of music. According to gittith. [ b ] Of Asaph.

Footnotes

Cross references

Psalm 81's Chapter Tabs
Scroll past these tabs to continue or click on one of them to navigate out of this webpage.

God gives us strength ^{[ a ]}

For the music director; ^{[ a ]} on the Gittith. A Psalm of Asaph.

Psalm 81 ^{[ a ]}

For the director of music. According to gittith. ^{[ b ]} Of Asaph.