Sing for Joy to God Our Strength
1 For the Chief Musician. On an instrument of Gath. By Asaph. Sing aloud to God, our strength! Make a joyful shout to the God of Jacob!
2 Raise a song, and bring here the tambourine, the pleasant lyre with the harp.
3 Blow the trumpet at the New Moon, at the full moon, on our feast day.
4 For it is a statute for Israel, an ordinance of the God of Jacob.
5 He appointed it in Joseph for a testimony, when he went out over the land of Egypt, I heard a language that I didn’t know.
6 “I removed his shoulder from the burden. His hands were freed from the basket.
7 You called in trouble, and I delivered you. I answered you in the secret place of thunder. I tested you at the waters of Meribah.” Selah.
8 “Hear, my people, and I will testify to you, Israel, if you would listen to me!
9 There shall be no strange god in you, neither shall you worship any foreign god.
10 I am Yahweh, your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.
11 But my people didn’t listen to my voice. Israel desired none of me.
12 So I let them go after the stubbornness of their hearts, that they might walk in their own counsels.
13 Oh 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 The haters of Yahweh would cringe before him, and their punishment would last forever.
16 But he would have also fed them with the finest of the wheat. I will satisfy you with honey out of the rock.”
Sing for Joy to God Our Strength
For the choirmaster. According to Gittith. a Of Asaph.
1Sing for joy to God our strength;
make a joyful noise to the God of Jacob.
2 Lift up a song, strike the tambourine,
play the sweet-sounding harp and lyre.
3 Sound the ram’s horn at the New Moon,
and at the full moon on the day of our Feast.
4 For this is a statute for Israel,
an ordinance of the God of Jacob.
5 He ordained it as a testimony for Joseph b
when he went out over the land of Egypt,
where I heard an unfamiliar language:
6 “I relieved his shoulder of the burden;
his hands were freed from the basket.
7 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. c
Selah
8 Hear, O My people, and I will warn you:
O Israel, if only you would listen to Me!
9 There must be no strange god among you,
nor shall you bow to a foreign god.
10 I am the LORD your God,
who brought you up out of Egypt.
Open wide your mouth,
and I will fill it.
11 But My people would not listen to Me,
and Israel would not obey Me.
12 So I gave them up to their stubborn hearts
to follow their own devices.
13 If only My people would listen to Me,
if Israel would follow My ways,
14 how soon I would subdue their enemies
and turn My hand against their foes!
15 Those who hate the LORD would feign obedience,
and their doom would last forever.
16 But I would feed you the finest wheat;
with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”
Footnotes:
1 a Gittith is probably a musical or liturgical term; here and in Psalms 8 and 84.
5 b Or in Joseph
7 c Meribah means quarreling ; see Exodus 17:7.
Sing Aloud to God, Our Strength!
1To the Overseer. -- 'On the Gittith.' By Asaph. Cry aloud to God our strength, Shout to the God of Jacob.
2Lift up a song, and give out a timbrel, A pleasant harp with psaltery.
3Blow in the month a trumpet, In the new moon, at the day of our festival,
4For a statute to Israel it is, An ordinance of the God of Jacob.
5A testimony on Joseph He hath placed it, In his going forth over the land of Egypt. A lip, I have not known -- I hear.
6From the burden his shoulder I turned aside, His hands from the basket pass over.
7In distress thou hast called and I deliver thee, I answer thee in the secret place of thunder, I try thee by the waters of Meribah. Selah.
8Hear, O My people, and I testify to thee, O Israel, if thou dost hearken to me:
9There is not in thee a strange god, And thou bowest not thyself to a strange god.
10I am Jehovah thy God, Who bringeth thee up out of the land of Egypt. Enlarge thy mouth, and I fill it.
11But, My people hearkened not to My voice, And Israel hath not consented to Me.
12And I send them away in the enmity of their heart, They walk in their own counsels.
13O that My people were hearkening to Me, Israel in My ways would walk.
14As a little thing their enemies I cause to bow, And against their adversaries I turn back My hand,
15Those hating Jehovah feign obedience to Him, But their time is -- to the age.
16He causeth him to eat of the fat of wheat, And with honey from a rock I satisfy thee!
