Psalm 81-83

New International Version

Psalm 81^[a]

For the director of music. According to gittith.^[b] Of Asaph.

¹Sing for joy to God our strength;
shout aloud to the God of Jacob!^(A)
²Begin the music, strike the timbrel,^(B)
play the melodious harp^(C) and lyre.^(D)

³Sound the ram’s horn^(E) at the New Moon,^(F)
    and when the moon is full, on the day of our festival;
⁴this is a decree for Israel,
    an ordinance of the God of Jacob.^(G)
⁵When 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.
⁷In 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)
⁸Hear me, my people,^(O) and I will warn you—
    if you would only listen to me, Israel!
⁹You shall have no foreign god^(P) among you;
    you shall not worship any god other than me.
¹⁰I 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)
¹²So 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,
¹⁴how quickly I would subdue^(W) their enemies
    and turn my hand against^(X) their foes!
¹⁵Those who hate the Lord would cringe^(Y) before him,
    and their punishment would last forever.
¹⁶But you would be fed with the finest of wheat;^(Z)
    with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”

Psalm 82

A psalm of Asaph.

¹God presides in the great assembly;
he renders judgment^(AA) among the “gods”:^(AB)

²“How long will you^[d] defend the unjust
    and show partiality^(AC) to the wicked?^[e]^(AD)
³Defend the weak and the fatherless;^(AE)
    uphold the cause of the poor^(AF) and the oppressed.
⁴Rescue the weak and the needy;
    deliver them from the hand of the wicked.

⁵“The ‘gods’ know nothing, they understand nothing.^(AG)
They walk about in darkness;^(AH)
all the foundations^(AI) of the earth are shaken.

⁶“I said, ‘You are “gods”;^(AJ)
you are all sons of the Most High.’
⁷But you will die^(AK) like mere mortals;
you will fall like every other ruler.”

⁸Rise up,^(AL) O God, judge^(AM) the earth,
for all the nations are your inheritance.^(AN)

Psalm 83^[f]

A song. A psalm of Asaph.

¹O God, do not remain silent;^(AO)
    do not turn a deaf ear,
    do not stand aloof, O God.
²See how your enemies growl,^(AP)
    how your foes rear their heads.^(AQ)
³With cunning they conspire^(AR) against your people;
    they plot against those you cherish.^(AS)
⁴“Come,” they say, “let us destroy^(AT) them as a nation,^(AU)
    so that Israel’s name is remembered^(AV) no more.”

⁵With one mind they plot together;^(AW)
    they form an alliance against you—
⁶the tents of Edom^(AX) and the Ishmaelites,
    of Moab^(AY) and the Hagrites,^(AZ)
⁷Byblos,^(BA) Ammon^(BB) and Amalek,^(BC)
    Philistia,^(BD) with the people of Tyre.^(BE)
⁸Even Assyria^(BF) has joined them
    to reinforce Lot’s descendants.^[g]^(BG)

⁹Do to them as you did to Midian,^(BH)
    as you did to Sisera^(BI) and Jabin^(BJ) at the river Kishon,^(BK)
¹⁰who perished at Endor^(BL)
    and became like dung^(BM) on the ground.
¹¹Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb,^(BN)
    all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,^(BO)
¹²who said, “Let us take possession^(BP)
    of the pasturelands of God.”

¹³Make them like tumbleweed, my God,
    like chaff^(BQ) before the wind.
¹⁴As fire consumes the forest
    or a flame sets the mountains ablaze,^(BR)
¹⁵so pursue them with your tempest^(BS)
    and terrify them with your storm.^(BT)
¹⁶Cover their faces with shame,^(BU) Lord,
    so that they will seek your name.

¹⁷May they ever be ashamed and dismayed;^(BV)
may they perish in disgrace.^(BW)
¹⁸Let them know that you, whose name is the Lord^(BX)—
that you alone are the Most High^(BY) over all the earth.^(BZ)