Psalm 081

1    Sing loud to God our strength; with joy

          to Jacob’s God do sing.

2    Take up a psalm, the pleasant harp,

          timbrel and psalt’ry bring.

3    Blow trumpets at new-moon, what day

          our feast appointed is:

4    For charge to Isr’el, and a law

          of Jacob’s God was this.

5    To Joseph this a testimony

          he made, when Egypt land

     He travell’d through, where speech I heard

          I did not understand.

6    His shoulder I from burdens took,

          his hands from pots did free.

7    Thou didst in trouble on me call,

          and I deliver’d thee:

     In secret place of thundering

          I did thee answer make;

     And at the streams of Meribah

          of thee a proof did take.

8    O thou, my people, give an ear,

          I’ll testify to thee;

     To thee, O Isr’el, if thou wilt

          but hearken unto me.

9    In midst of thee there shall not be

          any strange god at all;

     Nor unto any god unknown

          thou bowing down shalt fall.

10   I am the Lord thy God, which did

          from Egypt land thee guide;

     I’ll fill thy mouth abundantly,

          do thou it open wide.

11   But yet my people to my voice

          would not attentive be;

     And ev’n my chosen Israel

          he would have none of me.

12   So to the lust of their own hearts

          I them delivered;

     And then in counsels of their own

          they vainly wandered.

13   O that my people had me heard,

          Isr’el my ways had chose!

14   I had their en’mies soon subdu’d,

          my hand turn’d on their foes.

15   The haters of the Lord to him

          submission should have feign’d;

     But as for them, their time should have

          for evermore remain’d.

16   He should have also fed them with

          the finest of the wheat;

     Of honey from the rock thy fill

          I should have made thee eat.