Psalm 81 - Psalms of David in Metre 1650 (Scottish Psalter)

PSALM 81

A Psalm of Asaph.

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.