Oh, That My People Would Listen to Me
To the choirmaster: according to Ps. 8, title;84, titleThe 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."