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Psalm 81
New King James Version

### An Appeal for Israel’s Repentance

#### To the Chief Musician. (A)On[a] an instrument of Gath. A Psalm of Asaph.

81 Sing aloud to God our strength;
Make a joyful shout to the God of Jacob.
2 Raise a song and strike the timbrel,
The pleasant harp with the lute.

3 Blow the trumpet at the time of the New Moon,
At the full moon, on our solemn feast day.
4 For (B)this is a statute for Israel,
A law of the God of Jacob.
5 This He established in Joseph as a testimony,
When He went throughout the land of Egypt,
(C)Where I heard a language I did not understand.

6 “I removed his shoulder from the burden;
His hands were freed from the baskets.
7 (D)You called in trouble, and I delivered you;
(E)I answered you in the secret place of thunder;
I (F)tested you at the waters of [b]Meribah. Selah

8 “Hear,(G) O My people, and I will admonish you!
O Israel, if you will listen to Me!
9 There shall be no (H)foreign god among you;
Nor shall you worship any foreign god.
10 (I)I am the Lord your God,
Who brought you out of the land of Egypt;
(J)Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.

11 “But My people would not heed My voice,
And Israel would have (K)none of Me.
12 (L)So I gave them over to [c]their own stubborn heart,
To walk in their own counsels.

13 “Oh,(M) that My people would listen to Me,
That Israel would walk in My ways!
14 I would soon subdue their enemies,
And turn My hand against their adversaries.
15 (N)The haters of the Lord would pretend submission to Him,
But their [d]fate would endure forever.
16 He would (O)have fed them also with [e]the finest of wheat;
And with honey (P)from the rock I would have satisfied you.”

#### Footnotes

1. Psalm 81:1 Heb. Al Gittith
2. Psalm 81:7 Lit. Strife or Contention
3. Psalm 81:12 the dictates of their heart
4. Psalm 81:15 Lit. time
5. Psalm 81:16 Lit. fat of wheat

#### Cross references

1. Psalm 81:1 : Ps. 8:title
2. Psalm 81:4 : Lev. 23:24; Num. 10:10
3. Psalm 81:5 : Deut. 28:49; Ps. 114:1; Jer. 5:15
4. Psalm 81:7 : Ex. 2:23; 14:10; Ps. 50:15
5. Psalm 81:7 : Ex. 19:19; 20:18
6. Psalm 81:7 : Ex. 17:6, 7; Num. 20:13
7. Psalm 81:8 : [Ps. 50:7]
8. Psalm 81:9 : [Ex. 20:3; Deut. 5:7; 32:12]; Ps. 44:20; [Is. 43:12]
9. Psalm 81:10 : Ex. 20:2; Deut. 5:6
10. Psalm 81:10 : Ps. 103:5
11. Psalm 81:11 : Ex. 32:1; Deut. 32:15
12. Psalm 81:12 : [Job 8:4; Acts 7:42; Rom. 1:24, 26]
13. Psalm 81:13 : [Deut. 5:29; Is. 48:18]
14. Psalm 81:15 : Rom. 1:30
15. Psalm 81:16 : Deut. 32:14
16. Psalm 81:16 : Job 29:6

New King James Version (NKJV)

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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