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A Storm in the Rocky Mountains, Mt. Rosalie. Albert Bierstadt, 1866. Wikimedia Commons. Public domain.

Psalm 81

16 verses · Festival psalm of praise

Sound the ram’s horn at the New Moon, and at the full moon on the day of our Feast.

The line breaks below follow the poem's own punctuation.

Sing for joy to God our strength; make a joyful noise to the God of Jacob.

Lift up a song, strike the tambourine, play the sweet-sounding harp and lyre.

Sound the ram’s horn at the New Moon, and at the full moon on the day of our Feast.

For this is a statute for Israel, an ordinance of the God of Jacob.

He ordained it as a testimony for Joseph when he went out over the land of Egypt, where I heard an unfamiliar language:

“I relieved his shoulder of the burden; his hands were freed from the basket.

You called out in distress, and I rescued you;I answered you from the cloud of thunder;I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah

Hear, O My people, and I will warn you:O Israel, if only you would listen to Me!

There must be no strange god among you, nor shall you bow to a foreign god.

I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of Egypt.Open wide your mouth, and I will fill it.

But My people would not listen to Me, and Israel would not obey Me.

So I gave them up to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices.

If only My people would listen to Me, if Israel would follow My ways,

how soon I would subdue their enemies and turn My hand against their foes!

Those who hate the LORD would feign obedience, and their doom would last forever.

But I would feed you the finest wheat; with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”

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