Read A Psalm: Psalm 81

New International Version 1984

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Psalm 81

For the director of music. According to gittith.^a Of Asaph.

1Sing for joy to God our strength;

shout aloud to the God of Jacob!

2Begin the music, strike the tambourine,

play the melodious harp and lyre.

3Sound the ram’s horn at the New Moon,

and when the moon is full, on the day of our Feast;

4this is a decree for Israel,

an ordinance of the God of Jacob.

5He established it as a statute for Joseph

when he went out against Egypt,

where we heard a language we did not understand.^b

6He says, “I removed the burden from their shoulders;

their hands were set free from the basket.

7In your distress you called and I rescued you,

I answered you out of a thundercloud;

I tested you at the waters of Meribah.       Selah

8“Hear, O my people, and I will warn you—

if you would but listen to me, O Israel!

9You shall have no foreign god among you;

you shall not bow down to an alien god.

10I am the Lord your God,

who brought you up out of Egypt.

Open wide your mouth and I will fill it.

11“But my people would not listen to me;

Israel would not submit to me.

12So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts

to follow their own devices.

13“If my people would but listen to me,

if Israel would follow my ways,

14how quickly would I subdue their enemies

and turn my hand against their foes!

15Those who hate the Lord would cringe before him,

and their punishment would last forever.

16But you would be fed with the finest of wheat;

with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”

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Footnotes:
a 1 Title: Probably a musical term
b 5 Or / and we heard a voice we had not known


Outline/Stanza
1-5a Shout and Sing to God
5b-10 God's gracious hand to save Israel & His decrees over them
11-16 Israel turned away from God, but God promised abundance if they return to Him

Main Point: God is worthy to be praised and promises of abundance to those who stick/abide in Hima