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Scottish Psalter: Psalm 81

Psalm 81: Sing loud to God our strength; with joy

To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm of Asaph.

Meter: C.M. (8,6,8,6)

1 Sing loud to God our strength; with joy to Jacob’s God do sing. 2 Take up a psalm, the pleasant harp, timbrel and psalt’ry bring.

3 Blow trumpets at new-moon, what day our feast appointed is: 4 For charge to Isr’el, and a law of Jacob’s God was this.

5 To Joseph this a testimony he made, when Egypt land He travell’d through, where speech I heard I did not understand.

6 His shoulder I from burdens took, his hands from pots did free. 7 Thou didst in trouble on me call, and I deliver’d thee:

In secret place of thundering I did thee answer make; And at the streams of Meribah of thee a proof did take.

8 O thou, my people, give an ear, I’ll testify to thee; To thee, O Isr’el, if thou wilt but hearken unto me.

9 In midst of thee there shall not be any strange god at all; Nor unto any god unknown thou bowing down shalt fall.

10 I am the Lord thy God, which did from Egypt land thee guide; I’ll fill thy mouth abundantly, do thou it open wide.

11 But yet my people to my voice would not attentive be; And ev’n my chosen Israel he would have none of me.

12 So to the lust of their own hearts I them delivered; And then in counsels of their own they vainly wandered.

13 O that my people had me heard, Isr’el my ways had chose! 14 I had their en’mies soon subdu’d, my hand turn’d on their foes.

15 The haters of the Lord to him submission should have feign’d; But as for them, their time should have for evermore remain’d.

16 He should have also fed them with the finest of the wheat; Of honey from the rock thy fill I should have made thee eat.