Psalm 81

Sing songs to praise God, who enables us to be strong when we fight our enemies; shout joyfully to God, whom we descendants of Jacob worship!

Start playing the music, and beat the tambourines; play nice music on the harps and lyres.

Blow the trumpets during the festival to celebrate each new moon, each time the moon is full, and during our other festivals.

Do that because that is a decree for us Israelite people; it is a command that God made for the descendants of Jacob.

He made it a law under at the time when God led the descendants of Joseph out of the land of Egypt. I heard a voice I did not recognize, and it said:

"After the rulers of Egypt forced you Israelites to work as slaves, I took those heavy burdens off your backs, and I enabled you to lay down those heavy baskets of bricks that you were carrying.

When you were greatly distressed, you called out to me, and I rescued you; I answered you out of a thundercloud. Later I tested whether you would trust me to give you water when you were in the desert at Meribah.

You who are my people, listen while I warn you! I wish that you Israelite people would pay attention to what I say to you!

You must not have any idols of other gods among you; you must never bow to worship any of them!

I am God your God; It was not any of those gods who brought you out of Egypt; I am the one who did it! So request what you want me to do for you, and I will do it.

But my people would not listen to me; they would not obey me.

So because they were very stubborn, I allowed them to do whatever they wanted to do.

I wish that my people would listen to me, that the Israelite people would behave as I want them to do.

If they did that, I would quickly defeat their enemies; I would strike dead those who are oppressing them.

Then all those who hate me would cringe before me, and then I would punish them forever.

But I would give you Israelites very good wheat, and I would fill your stomachs with wild honey."