Psalms 81-83

Psalm 81

¹To the chief music-maker; put to the Gittith. Of Asaph. Make a song to God our strength: make a glad cry to the God of Jacob.

²Take up the melody, playing on an instrument of music, even on corded instruments.

³Let the horn be sounded in the time of the new moon, at the full moon, on our holy feast-day:

⁴For this is a rule for Israel, and a law of the God of Jacob.

⁵He gave it to Joseph as a witness, when he went out over the land of Egypt; then the words of a strange tongue were sounding in my ears.

⁶I took the weight from his back; his hands were made free from the baskets.

⁷You gave a cry in your trouble, and I made you free; I gave you an answer in the secret place of the thunder; I put you to the test at the waters of Meribah. (Selah.)

⁸Give ear, O my people, and I will give you my word, O Israel, if you will only do as I say!

⁹There is to be no strange god among you; you are not to give worship to any other god.

¹⁰I am the Lord your God, who took you up from the land of Egypt: let your mouth be open wide, so that I may give you food.

¹¹But my people did not give ear to my voice; Israel would have nothing to do with me.

¹²So I gave them up to the desires of their hearts; that they might go after their evil purposes.

¹³If only my people would give ear to me, walking in my ways!

¹⁴I would quickly overcome their haters: my hand would be turned against those who make war on them.

¹⁵The haters of the Lord would be broken, and their destruction would be eternal.

¹⁶I would give them the best grain for food; you would be full of honey from the rock.

Psalm 82

¹A Psalm. Of Asaph. God is in the meeting-place of God; he is judging among the gods.

²How long will you go on judging falsely, having respect for the persons of evil-doers? (Selah.)

³Give ear to the cause of the poor and the children without fathers; let those who are troubled and in need have their rights.

⁴Be the saviour of the poor and those who have nothing: take them out of the hand of the evil-doers.

⁵They have no knowledge or sense; they go about in the dark: all the bases of the earth are moved.

⁶I said, You are gods; all of you are the sons of the Most High:

⁷But you will come to death like men, falling like one of the rulers of the earth.

⁸Up! O God, come as judge of the earth; for all the nations are your heritage.

Psalm 83

¹A Song. A Psalm. Of Asaph. O God, do not keep quiet: let your lips be open and take no rest, O God.

²For see! those who make war on you are out of control; your haters are lifting up their heads.

³They have made wise designs against your people, talking together against those whom you keep in a secret place.

⁴They have said, Come, let us put an end to them as a nation; so that the name of Israel may go out of man's memory.

⁵For they have all come to an agreement; they are all joined together against you:

⁶The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites; Moab and the Hagarites;

⁷Gebal and Ammon and Amalek; the Philistines and the people of Tyre;

⁸Assur is joined with them; they have become the support of the children of Lot. (Selah.)

⁹Do to them what you did to the Midianites; what you did to Sisera and Jabin, at the stream of Kishon:

¹⁰Who came to destruction at En-dor; their bodies became dust and waste.

¹¹Make their chiefs like Oreb and Zeeb; and all their rulers like Zebah and Zalmunna:

¹²Who have said, Let us take for our heritage the resting-place of God.

¹³O my God, make them like the rolling dust; like dry stems before the wind.

¹⁴As fire burning a wood, and as a flame causing fire on the mountains,

¹⁵So go after them with your strong wind, and let them be full of fear because of your storm.

¹⁶Let their faces be full of shame; so that they may give honour to your name, O Lord.

¹⁷Let them be overcome and troubled for ever; let them be put to shame and come to destruction;

¹⁸So that men may see that you only, whose name is Yahweh, are Most High over all the earth.