Psalm 81a

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

1 Sing for joy to God our strength;

shout aloud to the God of Jacob!p

2 Begin the music, strike the timbrel,q

play the melodious harpr and lyre.s

3 Sound the ram’s hornt at the New Moon,u

and when the moon is full, on the day of our festival;

4 this is a decree for Israel,

an ordinance of the God of Jacob.v

5 When God went out against Egypt,w

he established it as a statute for Joseph.

I heard an unknown voice say:x

6 “I removed the burdeny from their shoulders;z

their hands were set free from the basket.

7 In your distress you calleda and I rescued you,

I answeredb you out of a thundercloud;

I tested you at the waters of Meribah.c c

8 Hear me, my people,d and I will warn you—

if you would only listen to me, Israel!

9 You shall have no foreign gode among you;

you shall not worship any god other than me.

10 I am the Lord your God,

who brought you up out of Egypt.f

Openg wide your mouth and I will fillh it.

11 “But my people would not listen to me;

Israel would not submit to me.i

12 So I gave them overj to their stubborn hearts

to follow their own devices.

13 “If my people would only listen to me,k

if Israel would only follow my ways,

14 how quickly I would subduel their enemies

and turn my hand againstm their foes!

15 Those who hate the Lord would cringen before him,

and their punishment would last forever.

16 But you would be fed with the finest of wheat;o

with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”

Psalm 82

A psalm of Asaph.

1 God presides in the great assembly;

he renders judgmentp among the “gods”:q

2 “How long will youa defend the unjust

and show partialityr to the wicked?b s

3 Defend the weak and the fatherless;t

uphold the cause of the pooru and the oppressed.

4 Rescue the weak and the needy;

deliver them from the hand of the wicked.

5 “The ‘gods’ know nothing, they understand nothing.v

They walk about in darkness;w

all the foundationsx of the earth are shaken.

6 “I said, ‘You are “gods”;y

you are all sons of the Most High.’

7 But you will diez like mere mortals;

you will fall like every other ruler.”

8 Rise up,a O God, judgeb the earth,

for all the nations are your inheritance.c

Psalm 83a

A song. A psalm of Asaph.

1 O God, do not remain silent;d

do not turn a deaf ear,

do not stand aloof, O God.

2 See how your enemies growl,e

how your foes rear their heads.f

3 With cunning they conspireg against your people;

they plot against those you cherish.h

4 “Come,” they say, “let us destroyi them as a nation,j

so that Israel’s name is rememberedk no more.”

5 With one mind they plot together;l

they form an alliance against you—

6 the tents of Edomm and the Ishmaelites,

of Moabn and the Hagrites,o

7 Byblos,p Ammonq and Amalek,r

Philistia,s with the people of Tyre.t

8 Even Assyriau has joined them

to reinforce Lot’s descendants.b v

9 Do to them as you did to Midian,w

as you did to Siserax and Jabiny at the river Kishon,z

10 who perished at Endora

and became like dungb on the ground.

11 Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb,c

all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,d

12 who said, “Let us take possessione

of the pasturelands of God.”

13 Make them like tumbleweed, my God,

like chafff before the wind.

14 As fire consumes the forest

or a flame sets the mountains ablaze,g

15 so pursue them with your tempesth

and terrify them with your storm.i

16 Cover their faces with shame,j Lord,

so that they will seek your name.

17 May they ever be ashamed and dismayed;k

may they perish in disgrace.l

18 Let them know that you, whose name is the Lordm—

that you alone are the Most Highn over all the earth.o