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Psalm 81
1599 Geneva Bible
Psalm 81
1599 Geneva Bible
81 1 An exhortation to praise God both in heart and voice for his benefits, 8 and to worship him only. 11 God condemneth their ingratitude, 12 and showeth what great benefit they have lost through their own malice.
To him that excelleth upon [a]Gittith. A Psalm committeth to Asaph.
1 Sing [b]joyfully unto God our strength: sing loud unto the God of Jacob.
2 Take the song and bring forth the timbrel, the pleasant harp with the viol.
3 Blow the trumpet in the [c]new moon, even in the time appointed at our feast day.
4 For this is a statute for Israel, and a Law of the God of Jacob.
5 He set this in [d]Joseph for a testimony, when he came out of the land of Egypt, where I heard a language, that [e]I understood not.
6 I have withdrawn his shoulder from the burden, and his hands have left the [f]pots.
7 Thou calledst in affliction, and I delivered thee, and [g]answered thee in the secret of the thunder: I proved thee at the waters of [h]Meribah. Selah.
8 [i]Hear, O my people, and I will protest unto thee: O Israel, if thou wilt hearken unto me,
9 And wilt have no strange god in thee, neither worship any strange god,
10 (For I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt:) [j]open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.
11 But my people would not hear my voice, and Israel would none of me,
12 So I gave them up unto the hardness of their heart, and they have walked in their own counsels.
13 [k]Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways!
14 I would soon have humbled their enemies, and turned mine hand [l]against their adversaries.
15 The haters of the Lord should have been subject unto him, and their time [m]should have endured forever.
16 And God would have fed them with the [n]fat of wheat, and with honey out of the rock would I have sufficed thee.
Footnotes
- Psalm 81:1 An instrument of music brought from Geth.
- Psalm 81:1 It seemeth that this Psalm was appointed for solemn feasts and assemblies of the people to whom for a time these ceremonies were ordained, but now under the Gospel are abolished.
- Psalm 81:3 Under this feast he comprehendeth all other solemn days.
- Psalm 81:5 That is, in Israel: for Joseph’s family was counted the chief before that Judah was preferred.
- Psalm 81:5 God speaketh in the person of the people because he was their leader.
- Psalm 81:6 If they were never able to give sufficient thanks to God for this deliverance from corporal bondage, how much more are we indebted to him for our spiritual deliverance from the tyranny of Satan and sin?
- Psalm 81:7 By a strange and wonderful fashion.
- Psalm 81:7 Or, contention, Exod. 17:7.
- Psalm 81:8 He condemneth all assemblies, where the people are not attentive to hear God’s voice, and to give obedience to the same.
- Psalm 81:10 God accuseth their incredulity, because they opened not their mouths to receive God’s benefits in such abundance as he poureth them out.
- Psalm 81:13 God by his word calleth all, but his secret election appointeth who shall hear with fruit.
- Psalm 81:14 If their sins had not letted.
- Psalm 81:15 If the Israelites had not broken covenant with God, he would have given them victory against their enemies.
- Psalm 81:16 That is, with most fine wheat and abundance of honey.
Psalm 81
New International Version
Psalm 81
New International Version
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.
1599 Geneva Bible (GNV) 
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New International Version (NIV) 
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