Psalm 81:5-16
The Voice
5 A precept established by God in Joseph
during His journey in Egypt.
I hear it said in a language foreign to me:
6 “I removed the burden from your shoulders;
I removed heavy baskets from your hands.
7 You cried out to Me, I heard your distress, and I delivered you;
I answered you from the secret place, where clouds of thunder roll.
I tested you at the waters of Meribah.
[pause][a]
8 “O My people, hear Me; I will rebuke you.
Israel, Israel! If you would only listen to Me.
9 Do not surround yourselves with other gods
or bow down to strange gods.
10 I am the Eternal, your True God.
I liberated you from slavery, led you out from the land of Egypt.
If you open your mouth wide, I will fill it.
11 “But My own people did not hear My voice!
Israel refused to obey Me.
12 So I freed them to follow their hard hearts,
to do what they thought was best.
13 If only My people would hear My voice
and Israel would follow My direction!
14 Then I would not hesitate to humble their enemies
and defeat their opposition Myself.
15 Those who hate the Eternal will cower in His presence, pretending to submit;
they secretly loathe Him, yet their doom is forever.
16 But you—I will feed you the best wheat
and satisfy you with honey out of the rock.”
Footnotes
- 81:7 Literally, selah, likely a musical direction from a Hebrew root meaning “to lift up”
Psalm 81:5-16
New International Version
5 When God went out against Egypt,(A)
he established it as a statute for Joseph.
I heard an unknown voice say:(B)
6 “I removed the burden(C) from their shoulders;(D)
their hands were set free from the basket.
7 In your distress you called(E) and I rescued you,
I answered(F) you out of a thundercloud;
I tested you at the waters of Meribah.[a](G)
8 Hear me, my people,(H) and I will warn you—
if you would only listen to me, Israel!
9 You shall have no foreign god(I) 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.(J)
Open(K) wide your mouth and I will fill(L) it.
11 “But my people would not listen to me;
Israel would not submit to me.(M)
12 So I gave them over(N) to their stubborn hearts
to follow their own devices.
13 “If my people would only listen to me,(O)
if Israel would only follow my ways,
14 how quickly I would subdue(P) their enemies
and turn my hand against(Q) their foes!
15 Those who hate the Lord would cringe(R) before him,
and their punishment would last forever.
16 But you would be fed with the finest of wheat;(S)
with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”
Footnotes
- Psalm 81:7 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
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