Psalms 81

1Sing out with joy to God, our strength; raise a shout to the God of Jacob! 2Strike up the music and beat the tambourine; play the sweet lyre along with the harp. 3At the new moon, blow the ram’s horn, and at the full moon, for our feast day, 4for this is a law laid down for Israel, a rule given by the God of Jacob. 5He made it a solemn charge for Joseph when he went out against the land of Egypt. Then I heard a voice I had never known: 6“I lifted the heavy load from their shoulders; their hands let go of the brick basket. 7When you were in trouble you cried out, and I set you free; I answered you from the hidden place of the thunder; I put you to the test at the waters of Meribah. Selah 8Listen, my people, and I will give you a solemn warning; Israel, oh, that you would listen to me! 9You must have no strange god among you; you must not bow down to any foreign god. 10I am the LORD your God, the one who led you up out of Egypt’s land. Open your mouth as wide as you can, and I will fill it. 11But my people refused to listen to my voice; Israel would have nothing to do with me. 12So I left them to their stubborn hearts, and they followed their own schemes. 13If only my people were listening to me, if only Israel would walk in my paths, 14I would soon bring their enemies low and turn my hand against their attackers. 15Those who hate the LORD would come cringing to him, and their doom would never end. 16He would give them the finest wheat to eat, and I would fill you up with honey from the rock.”