Psalm 81

Oh, That My People Would Listen to Me

To the choirmaster: according to #Ps. 8, title; 84, title The Gittith.#81:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term Of #Ps. 50, titleAsaph.

1 [Deut. 32:43] Sing aloud to God our strength;

See Ps. 66:1shout for joy to the God of Jacob!

2 Raise a song; sound Ex. 15:20the tambourine,

Ps. 71:22the sweet lyre with Ps. 71:22the harp.

3 Blow the trumpet at Lev. 23:24;Num. 10:10;29:1the new moon,

at the full moon, on our feast day.

4 For it is a statute for Israel,

a rule81:4 Or just decree of the God of Jacob.

5 He made it Ps. 122:4;[Ps. 78:5] a decree in Ps. 77:15;78:67;80:1Joseph

when he Ex. 11:4went out over81:5 Or against the land of Egypt.

Ps. 114:1I hear a language [Deut. 28:49;Jer. 5:15]I had not known:

6 "I Isa. 9:4;10:27relieved your81:6 Hebrew his; also next line shoulder of Ex. 1:11the burden;

your hands were freed from the basket.

7 In distress you Ps. 50:15;[Ex. 2:23;14:10] called, and I delivered you;

I Ex. 19:19;See Ps. 18:11-14answered you in the secret place of thunder;

I Ex. 17:7;Num. 20:13tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah

8 See Ps. 50:7Hear, O my people, while I admonish you!

O Israel, if you would but listen to me!

9 There shall be no Ps. 44:20;Isa. 43:12;[Ex. 20:3] strange god among you;

you shall not bow down to a Deut. 32:12foreign god.

10 Ex. 20:2I am the Lord your God,

who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.

[Ps. 37:3,4]Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.

11 "But my people did not listen to my voice;

Israel Ex. 32:1;Deut. 32:15,18;Prov. 1:25,30would not submit to me.

12 So I Job 8:4;[Acts 7:42;14:16;Rom. 1:24,26] gave them over to their [Deut. 29:19] stubborn hearts,

to follow their own Ps. 106:43;Jer. 7:24;Mic. 6:16counsels.

13 Deut. 5:29;32:29;Isa. 48:18Oh, that my people would listen to me,

that Israel would Deut. 5:33walk in my ways!

14 I would soon subdue their enemies

and Amos 1:8turn my hand against their foes.

15 Those who hate the Lord would Ps. 18:44cringe toward him,

and their fate would last forever.

16 But he would feed you81:16 That is, Israel; Hebrew him with Ps. 147:14;Deut. 32:14the finest of the wheat,

and with Deut. 32:13;[Job 29:6;Ezek. 16:19]honey from the rock I would satisfy you."